너를 사랑해, 너를 기억해
by PeonyFlowerLady
Summary: (Sequel to 너를 위해 미소 짓는다) Myung-hee is now coping with her new life, as well as her long-distance relationship with Tom. Of course, there are struggles, and, of course, Myung-hee and Tom fight their way through it. But things only get more complicated when Myung-hee accidentally gains an interest in the new boy in town, and she has to keep her pettiness from hitting the fan.
1. Chapter 1

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* * *

 **"A Word From… Well, Me."**

 **(Character's POV.)**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

Hello there. It's Myung-hee, if you didn't figure that out already. If you know who I am already, obviously you have heard what I had to say in my story, the problemless life decided to call "Smile". By the way, thank you for ignoring my cry for help, jerks. She had me sitting there forever trying to get my story right. I don't even _trust_ you people. I can't believe she… _dodaeche mueos-i!_ **_{whatever!}_** Just forget about it. Go to the next paragraph.

Yeah, Tom Hiddleston fell in love with me. Me. Yeah. That's right. Let that sink in… okay, that was a little mean. _Joesong haeyo **{I'm sorry} *I bow myself to you*.**_ We all know that I didn't try to make him fall for me. And I fell for him too. I didn't think that would ever be possible for me. He was supposed to stay here for a while, then go home. Then I had to do that damn interview, and now I'm his somewhat-secret girlfriend. No one knows who I am, how old I am, etc. I'm still secret. Anyway, you want the full story? Go read **_"_** _Smile (For you)"_ again.

Since you read "Smile", you are now fully caught up to the present day of my life. Remember, _my_ life. Not the problemless life's life. Starting right after this message, I will be readjusting to a new lifestyle while Tom has returned to his. How will it go? Will I survive this? Will Tom really be faithful to me? Well, don't expect an answer from me. How should I know? I'm figuring this out as the problemless life writes. Let's find out together, shall we?


	2. Chapter 2

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

* **Eion Bailey** as the Interviewer

* **Cha Seung-Won** as Park Woo-bin {Myung-hee's father}

* **Woo Hee-Jin** as Park Eun-hye {Myung-hee's mother}

* * *

 **Chapter I: They Were As Real As It Gets.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

"Athena." The interviewer says.

I stare at the floor. I have been sitting in this chair for the past ten minutes while this man from News 12 Connecticut asks me tons of questions about my disappearance. Most of them are the same question but reworded. You would swear he wasn't even listening.

"Where were you staying all this time? This wasn't just for a couple of days. This was years of absence, of search parties and advertisements for you."

The bright lights shining on us hurts my eyes. The camera people listen intently, and the makeup artist stands there and encourages me.

 _Please smile._ I think of that line in Tom's voice, and I wonder what he could be up to right now. Has he even gotten off the plane yet? I shrug at the interview's question. "I was… around. Got to see a few places. But the fact is I'm home and safe. No one needs to know that…" I consider telling them one of my locations. It wouldn't hurt anyone, and it's not like my parents can undo what's already been done. I decided to try and give them a little something to work with. "Okay, I'll tell you how I spent about a month in New York, and it was really fun. I have never had so many churros and chicken gyros in my life. And Broadway is very beautiful. I mean, until they kicked me out of the broken-down car I was staying in."

There are a few laughs in the room. I wish I could see who they were coming from; as I grew more anxious for the end of the interview that one light seems to get brighter and brighter.

"Okay," he says when the room is quiet again. "Well, I can see you're getting a little tired of this."

 _No. I was just rushed into an interview and a frenzy makeup and hair right when I got home. It's only ten-thirty at night. It's all good._

"I only have one more question."

 _What now?_

"Why'd you come back?"

This is the question I have to lie about. Give them something to break their hearts.

"Like we've said: you've been gone for years. You were practically still a kid when you left. I mean, you were the smartest kid in Stamford; you were worshipped. Your knowledge could have been borrowed to do fantastic things. We know why you left. We know where you've been. Now tell us: why did you decide to return to your parents?"

I stare at my hands. What should I tell him? I put together the pieces of the story in my head, remaining dead silent as I do this. Finally, I look at him, my throat tighten with the thought of the man that convinced me.

The story in my head: _Because I was alone and miserable even though I convinced myself that I was just fine. I was surviving. I was eating. I was making money. And it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Still I refused to go home. There was no way I would come back here. Then I became lucky one day and met one of the greatest actors of our time: Tom Hiddleston. As any fan would, I nearly flipped myself when I had to interview him. But then… I started to hang out with him more. And more. And finally, he just kissed me. It was surprising, but it was the best experience of my life. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about my love life. I fell in love with Tom. He fell in love with me. I was happy, but in a way, he wasn't. He wanted me to come back. He asked me to turn myself in. Like the stubborn teen I am, I refused. Then… well, then it came a time for him to leave. I didn't take that easily, and I surely made it a bit worse for him. When he left, I decided that I owe him so much. Then I found myself at the door of my old home._

The story I give him: "I don't know." I claw at my palm with my thumbnail.

"Well, something must have happened to make you come back."

 _Something happened._ "No. nothing." _The love of my life made me see the problems in the person I wanted to be._ "I just looked back at my life and realized I didn't need to live like that." _He convinced me that I deserve better._ "I was finally convinced that I deserve something better than waiting for money and rationing my food." _He turned out to be the only one I trusted in the world, and although it was great that I could trust him, I eventually realized that I was mentally and emotionally unhealthy._ "I was not well. At all. I was dangerously insecure, resorting myself to cutting and bleeding and a lot of self-harm. I put a lot of thought into killing myself. But then I realized it wasn't worth it. That, and the bleach is way too expensive for me." I laughed softly, my nerves pushing it out of me to lighten the mood a little bit on that sentence. _He had faith in me. I didn't think it was possible, but I saw myself in a different way of living, and it wasn't on the streets._ "All I needed was a little faith, and someone very close to me had that to me. I didn't think I would believe in myself ever again. Finally, I decided to come here and hope my parents would help me to get my life back on track." When I finished my story, I wait for the interview to say something.

He just sits there, absolutely heart-broken. His face is nothing, but sympathetic. Interviewers aren't supposed to look like that. Is my story really that touching, or is he just a really good actor? "You sound like you had it pretty hard out there. And you still managed to make it through and, eventually, return home. With your IQ still the same, if I'm not mistaken."

"I took a few tests at school. My IQ level actually increased a few points."

"Wow. Impressive. I'm just curious about little thing. You mentioned someone in the explanation. Who was it that was so close to you?"

I smiled. "If you don't mind, I would like to keep the name to myself. Just know that there couldn't have been anyone more important to me."

The room is uncomfortably silent. Everyone stands around (at least, I _think_ they're standing), probably watching the miraculously found girl.

Something pops into my head. I didn't plan on doing this, doing anything like this, but I look right into the camera, to the thousands to millions of people who are or will be watching this.

"I'm going to tell you right now, whether you're a child or an adult because adults can pass the message on: don't run. Running doesn't help. Running doesn't solve problems. Running just gets you away so you can be left to deal with the problems alone. It's not worth it." Tears push themselves out from my eyes, the one thing I didn't want to happen on camera. "Don't…" I swallow, my voice too shaky to continue without a pause. "Don't make the same m-mistake I made. You may say you're strong, but… no one, no _child_ in this world, no matter how smart you are, can live without the warmth, love and protection your loved ones give you. And if that's not the case with you, if you have a bad relationship with those people because they treat you like trash, you still don't need to run away. Running shows weaknesses, and weaknesses gives the messed-up guardian a victory. Stay strong until you're allowed to go. You will see that it's worth it."

I hear a few sniffles in the room, and I know I have won them over even though that wasn't my intention.

I wipe the tears from my cheeks and look back at the interviewer.

"Athena." He says. "You are a bright, wonderful and hopefully inspiring. Your story is absolutely touching, and I hope your message gets across to the children out there who are thinking of running away. Thank you so much for the interview. That'll be all for today."

"Thank you." I say with a smile. I shake his hand, and the bright light goes off. The camera stops rolling, and the clapping begins.

I look around at all their faces, searching for my parents. I spent a total of half an hour with them before the surprise interview. I stand up and walk away from the small set. I finally spot them in the doorway to the dining room. I walk over to them, and both are a tearful, joyful mess. My mother pulls me into a suffocating hug, and my father just adds to the pressure.

 _"Nae agi. **{My baby.}** "_ She says, the words she's been saying since they opened the door, hopefully she'll add an actual sentence afterwards. _"Nae agi. Nae agaui jib-iya. Nae jag-eun Athena, eom-ma-ya. **{My baby. My baby girl's home. My little Athena, oh my god.}** "_

 _"Ah, Jibgwa ilh-eobeolin gong-gi. Jibgwa ilh-eobeolin gong-gi **{Ah, home and losing air. Home and losing air.}"**_

They release me, smiling as I take deep breaths. My father… _O Ileon, **{Oh God,}**_ I still look like him. _"Neohuideul-eun neulg-eo. Jogeumman. **{You guys got old. Just a bit.}** "_ I say with a wide smile.

"Eh." My appa says. _"Geugeos-eun myeoch nyeon-i jinamyeon balsaenghabnida. Teughi uli ttal-iiss-eul su-issneun gos-eul gangjo hal ttae geuleohseubnida. **{That happens when years have passed, especially when we're stressing over where our daughter could be.}"**_

 _"Geulsse, amado seleujio-eseo deo ppalli ttwimyeon ... **{Well, maybe if you ran faster at Sergio's…}** "_ I wait for him to catch on.

He looks at me, confused. He stays that way, trying to figure out what I'm talking about. It takes him a while before he finally realizes when I am referring to. _"Algo iss-eoss-eo… Naneun neoleul geogieseo bon geos-eul al-assda. Naneun neoleul al-assda. **{I knew it… I knew I saw you there. I knew it was you.}** Neoneun jigeum neomu dalla boinda. Dangsin-eun geoui yeojacheoleom boibnida. **{You look so different now. You almost look like a woman.}** "_

 _"Mal. Gomawo, appa. **{Gee. Thanks, dad.}"**_

 _"Uliga neoleul majimag-eulo bon ihulo nega gaebalhaessdaneun_ _geos-eul uimihanda. { **He means you have developed since we last saw you.}** "_ My eomma says, helping my appa out here. _"Myeoch nyeon jeon ... dangsin-i aleumdaun eolin sonyeo yeoss-eul ttae ... o, nae ttal. **{Which was years ago… when you were a beautiful little girl… oh, my baby girl.}** " _She starts crying again.

I give her a tight, supportive hug. I'm as tall as her now, a little taller with the boots I have on. I'm about two in half a foot shorter than my appa, he does seem a bit like the giant I saw in my memories anymore. _"Ulji maseyo. Naneun jib-eissda. na yeogi wass-eo. Naneun kkwae olae amudedo gaji anh-eulgeoya. **{Please stop crying. I'm home. I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere for quite a while.}** "_

"Athena." I hear someone from behind me.

I turn around to see the interviewer coming my way. _"Joh-a, jamkkanman. johguna? **{Okay, just give me a minute. Alright?}** " _I say to my eomma. When she nods, I let her go and head for the interviewer.

"Great job in the interview." He says. "Please tell those emotions were real."

"They were as real as real gets."

"Wonderful. You were fantastic, and I loved the message you threw in at the end. Since there weren't any mistakes in this interview, I'm going to ask, if not _make_ the station play the entire interview on _News 12._ This is not something we can simply cut up and play in little segments."

"Thank you. I hope that goes well."

"Okay, take care now, and I'm glad you've decided to reunite with your parents."

"Alright. Good night."

"Good night."

When he walks away, I turn back to my parents.

 _"Eom-ma-ya, dangsin-eun yeol yeoseos sal-ieyo? **{Oh my god, you're sixteen.}** "_ My eomma smiles, her face now clean of tears.

 _"Ne. Eodi boja. hal su-issda wol gyeolmal, geulaeseo yeol yeoseos dal sib-o il jeon-e yeol-ilgob sal-ibnida. **{Yeah. Let's see. May's ending out, so there are six months fifteen days before I'm seventeen.}** "_

 _"Yejeoncheoleom sigan-eul gyesanhaji anh-eulgeoya? **{You're not going to calculate the hours like you used to?}** "_

I nod my head. _"Naneun olae jeon-e geuleohgehaji anh-assda. **{I stopped doing that a long time ago.}** "_

~o~

I finish putting the last of my clothes in the dresser. They replaced the set a couple of years ago for the day I came home. I push the drawer closed and take a look around my room.

Everything is in place. Replaced my baby books with better ones. The black-and-white bed set contrast with my white walls, and I say that because the edges if every window and wall have been painted red, blue, yellow or green. The carpet's been vacuumed _multiple_ times. My closet still holds old dresses and a box of notebooks I used to write my stories in. I'm glad they got a much bigger beanbag chair. I'm sure as hell wasn't going to fit in the old one.

Other than the new stuff, the room doesn't feel like it's changed. It still feels pretty big, the arrangement hasn't changed, and yet I still feel like I'm in a stranger's room. This room belongs to me, but it doesn't. I know I used to live here, and I know used to sleep in that bed. But in my years of hiding, this room eventually became more dream-like. Even then, when it was in my dreams, I would always see a little, petite Korean girl with dark brown hair and innocent intentions in life. I never saw myself there as a child. Today, I have to get used to it because from now on, this is my life.

 _"Annyeonghi jumuseyo, Myung-hee. **{Good night, Myung-hee.}** "_ My eomma says as she pulls my door closed.

 _"Annyeonghi jumuseyo."_ I get into bed with my black tank top and purple pajama bottoms. I lay down and pull the covers over me. The covers and bed sheets are very soft. It's alright, I guess. It would be better if it were the bed I had in Tom's house.

Tom.

Tom was supposed to call me.

I grab my cellphone off the night table and check for any missed calls: Tom Hiddleston. "Goddamn it!" I call Tom right back. I hold the phone to my ear.

He answers on the first ring. "Hello, love." Tom greets me.

" _Eom-ma-ya, **{Oh my god,}**_ Tom. I am so sorry. I was waiting for your call, but I fell asleep. I didn't even hear your phone ring."

"Don't worry about it. I know how late it was when I called you. As long as you're okay."

"Yes, I'm fine. I just got home."

"Please tell me your home is in Conneticut."

I smiled. "Yes, it's in Conneticut. Stamford, actually, in a big house, a nice room, there's food, television… and my parents…"

 _"What?"_

"Oh! I should probably tell you I went back to my parents."

"Myung-hee, that's wonderful! What happened when they saw you?"

"Oh, you know. We stared, then we cried, then my parents call to tell the police that I'm home, then I somehow pushed into an interview that only finished half an hour ago."

"Wow. You've had a busy night."

"Yeah. Well, I take it you got home safely."

"Yes, I did. I'm unpacking my things right about now. I forgot how large my home is."

"That was my thought when I got here, too."

"Do you know what I realized as I was looking through my pictures on the plane? I have absolutely no photos of you in here. I feel terrible. I was hoping there was something in here, but we used your phone for any pictures you and I took together."

"I'll just text them to you if you would like. I'll send them after we're done here."

"Alright."

He tells me about his flight home. Apparently, three flight attendants flirted with him, one of them 'accidentally' spilling champagne on him and excessively dabbling him with a thin towel. That part gave me a small twist in my stomach. It was out of jealousy, of course but then I laughed about. It was a stupid gesture by a 'clumsy' woman. I have nothing to worry about it… I hope.

The conversation had lasted as long as his flight. Finally, we both decided we need to go to sleep. _"Araso, **{Alright,}** " _I say, rubbing my eye. "I'm surprised you survived the plane this long. I think it's time we call it a night."

"Okay, love. Get some rest. I'm so proud of you for doing this."

"I figured. Good night."

"Good night." He hangs up.

I smiled as I set the phone on silent and put it on the night table. I turn onto my back and stare at the ceiling. The memory of my parents' reaction earlier plays in my head.

 _"Hello." My eomeoni **{mother}** says. She doesn't seem to recognize me at all._

 _I stare at her, speechless. There must be a hand around my throat because I can't breathe, speak or even think properly. I don't know what to say to her. Do I tell her who I am first? Do I ask her to come in? Ani-yo, **{No,}** that's just strange. I'm just a stranger to her for now._

 _My eomeoni looks around. "Um, may I help you with something, sweetheart?"_

 _I blink back my tears of shock and joy. I swallowed and try to speak._

 _"Ma'am… I, um…I found your daughter." I don't know how, but I was able to keep my voice as steady as possible._

 _Her eyes widen and she opens the door all the way. "Eom-ma-ya, **{Oh my god,}** you found Myung-hee, my Athena. Woo-bin!" She hurries out of the kitchen, calling that same name over and over. "Woo-bin! Yeogi naelyeowa! I jeolm-eun agassineun Myung-hee ga eodie issneunji algo issseubnida! **{Woo-bin! Get down here! This young lady knows where Myung-hee is!}"**_

 _A couple of minutes later, both my parents come into the kitchen. My eomeoni pulls out a chair for me to sit._

 _"Oh, we don't need that. Believe me." My voice becomes a whisper on that last word. I clear my throat._

 _"Well, sweetheart, just start with how you know it's her?"_

 _"Wait a second," My abeoji **{father}** says. "What's with all the trash bags? That… that's not her, is it?" For a moment, he looks horrified._

 _"No! No, no, no, no! These are mine. I was just… just bringing them home with me."_

 _"Okay, hananim gamsahabnida. **{thank god}.** Now, how did you know it was Myung-hee?"_

 _I figure out a way to explain. "Well… see, I saw her in a, a bathroom mirror. She was washing her hands, and I immediately knew exactly who she was."_

 _"Where was this bathroom?" My eomeoni takes one step closer._

 _"Remo's."_

 _My eomeoni releases a shaky breath. Her eyes are turning red. I can see it. Tears rim her eyes, the dark brown eyes I have now. "My little girl's in Stamford." She whispers._

 _Tears of my own are threatening to spill from my eyes. I can't hold this off any longer. If I don't tell her now, it's going to turn into a cruel game. "W-Would you like to… see her?"_

 _My parents' moist eyes land on me again. Their faces, the expressions of a mixture of disbelief, hopefulness and shock, make my heart drop to the cores of the Earth._

 _"Okay. If you two could please turn around for me that would be great." I push a smile on them._

 _Hesitant, they both do as I say and turn around._

 _My head as light as a feather, I take a deep breath and walk the kitchen table to stand in front of them again. I move carefully just so I don't startle them_

 _My abeoji is the first to look at me, and he's confused._

 _"Annyeong appa **{Hi, dad}.** " I forced out as my strength's disappearing._

 _My eomma, her face now covered in tears, looks at me._

 _He begins to look irritated. "If this is some kind of a goddamn joke-"_

 _"If this were a joke, then how would I know you used to call me Giggles because I would never stop laughing? And how would I know you searched frantically all over Stamford for me because I never told anyone I was going to be basement to read for a while?"_

 _He looks at me. There no words to describe his face right now._

 _"Eomma. **{Mom.}** " I say._

 _She continues to stare at me._

 _"Apeuge halkwigo ganeun nal-i seon balam sog-edo **{The days that past by painfully in the stillness of the day and wind}**_

 _Han jum byeot-i joh-aseo una **{But the one small ray of sun makes me smile}**_

 _Bappeuge seuchigo ganeun. Mujeonghan salam sog-edo **{Everyone is so busy. They get on with their lives}**_

 _Han jum beos-i joh-aseo una **{But that one friend makes me smile}** "_

 _Oeloum eobsneun gos-eul chajge doemyeon **{When I find a place where loneliness does not exist}**_

 _Nawa geu gos-eulo hamkke gadao- **{Join me there my friend, come with me-}** " _

_"Chingu chinguya neodawo gomawo **{My dear friend, thank you for being you}**." Singing that song turned her eyes to waterfalls instantly._

 _"Jigeum naleul midni? **{Do you believe me now?}"**_

 _It takes them a minute to process this. Finally, my abeoji pulls me into a hug, my eomeoni joining in immediately. We cried together, my eomeoni repeating the words. "Nae agi. Nae agi. Nae agi. Nae Athena. **{My baby. My baby. My baby. My Athena.}** "_

Nothing was said after that. It was just tears and gratefulness and for them, a miracle. Their daughter, their now sixteen-year-old daughter, has finally come home and is now lying in the bed that's been empty for too many years, in a room prepared for this very day. I can only hope this means a change in this home: no fighting over little problems.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

* **Cha Seung-Won** as Park Woo-bin {Myung-hee's father}

* **Woo Hee-Jin** as Park Eun-hye {Myung-hee's mother}

* * *

 **Chapter II: Do You Have Pancakes?**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

After brushing my teeth, I go down the stairs and into the kitchen. It still feels weird to be in this house, so I stand in the doorway awkwardly and wait for my mother to say something.

She looks up from her laptop and smiles. _"Joh-eun achim, Myung-hee. **{Good morning, Myung-hee.}** " _She says, her face brightens.

 _"Achim-e eotteohge geuleohge sal-a issni? Naneun botong 'Neoleul modu jug-igo sipda' gibun-eul gajigoissda. **{How are you so alive in the morning? I usually have the 'I want to kill all of you' mood.}** "_

 _"Geulsse, naneun sibdaeui naie igsughae jyeoissda. Achim-i deo isang naleul goelobhiji anhseubnida. **{Well, I got used to it in my teenage years. The morning doesn't really bother me anymore.}** "_

"Eh..." I look around the kitchen, examining and memorizing every detail about it. It wasn't at all like this when I was little.

"We changed it up a lot while you were gone." My eomeoni says. It's as if she knew what I was thinking. _"Geugeos-eun muneojigoiss-eossseubnida. 'Mal geudaelo'. Ulineun modeun geos-eul bakkwoyahaessseubnida. **{It was falling apart. 'Literally'. We had to replace everything.}** "_

I nod my head. _"O. Joh-a boinda. **{Oh. It looks nice.}** "_

 _"Gomabseubnida. **{Thank you.}** "_

I watch her as she returns to the computer. Her eyes: I have them. Her hair: I have that. Her chin: I have that. Her porcelain skin: I (possibly) have that. It's so strange to see the woman I share my DNA with. Not to mention, she's naturally beautiful. When I was little, I used to admire her like she's an empress from an historical Korean drama. If I imagined her wearing ancient clothes and jewelry, she would definitely look stunning as a royal.

God. Are female South Koreans immortal or something? Because seriously, when I look at the 'most beautiful Korean celebrities', many actresses' ages from late-thirties to fifties. They all look absolutely young, like they never age. I guess maybe women from my country use to take care of their skin really well.

 _Naneun jeongmallo nae mom-eul dolboneun il-eul sijaghaeyahanda. Paleulsulog johda. **{I really should start taking care of my body. The sooner, the better.}**_

She looks up at me, then points to a chair. _"Anj-eul su-iss-eo, neodo alji. **{You can sit down, you know.}** "_ She pushes the seat next to her out with her foot.

" _Thank you. **{Gomabseubnida.}**_ " I walk towards the chair and sit down on the edge of the seat. I keep my hands folded on my lap. The cushion of the chair feels less comfortable than it looks. I press my lips into a hard line, making my uncomfort known just a little bit.

My eomeoni gives me an apologetic smile. She looks like she's about to cry again.

 _"Naega yeogiissneun du beonjjae jukkaji mom-i gogal doelgeoya. Jebal dasi ulji maseyo. **{You're going to run out of body water by the second week I'm here. Please don't cry again.}** "_

She swallows thickly. _"Joesong haeyo. **{I'm sorry.}** "_ He moves her hand to place it on me, hesitates, and then returns it to the computer, along with her attention.

I clear my throat. I should break the silence before it begins. _"Mwohago issni? **{What are you doing?}** " _I ask her.

 _"Stamford High School-e ibhaghagi. **{Enrolling you in Stamford High School.}** "_

 _"Gwichanhgehaji mala. Naneun imi geogieissda. **{Don't bother. I'm already there.}** "_

She looks at me with confusion. _"Bangbeob? Nae seomyeong-i pil-yohae. **{How? You need my signatures.}"**_

 _"Naega tteonan ihulo bumoga kkwae manh-ass eo. **{I've had quite a few parents since I left.}** Geudeul-eun modu naleul wihae seomyeonghayeo haggyoleul gyesoghal su issseubnida. **{They all signed for me so I could continue school.}"**_

 _"Naneun salamdeul-eul ihaehaji moshabnida. **{I don't understand people.}** Geudeul-eun bunmyeonghi bumo-egeseo domang gass-eum-e teullim-eobsneun jasin-ui eolin sonyeoleul boassgo, geunyeoleul dolliji anh-assseubnida. **{They see a little girl living her own who clearly must have run away from her parents, and they don't turn her in?}** "_

 _"Mannada. Yeogie munjega issseubnida. Geudeul-eun jeonghwaghi naega 'honja yeossneunji'alji moshaessseubnida. **{See. Here's the thing. They didn't exactly 'know' I was on my own.}** Naneun geu deul-eul modu sog-yeoseo __jeoege geudeul-ui seomyeong-eul jueossda **{I kind of tricked them all into giving me their signatures.}** "_

She understands and nods her head. _"Naneun sinmun-e gyeong-goleul haess-eoyahaessda: mid-eul sueobsneun jijeog. **{I should have put a warning in the newspaper: unbelievable intelligent.}** "_

 _"Naneun geugeos-i doum-idoeeoss-eul geos-ilago saeng-gaghaji anhneunda. **{I don't think that would have helped.}** __Geunyang jigeum deudgo, naneun imi geugeol haegyeolhaneun bangbeob-eul algoissda. **{Just listening to that now, I already know how to get around that.}** "_

She closes her laptop and sighs. _"Geuleol pil-yoneun eobsdago saeng-gaghabnida. **{I guess that's not necessary, then.}** " _She stands up and turns to the cabinets. She pulls out one of the coffee mugs and sets it on the counter. _"Achim meog-eul geo julkka? **{Do you want anything for breakfast?}** "_

I shrug. _"Juhayo. **{Sure.}** "_

 _"Gwaenchanh-a. Mwoga johgess ni? { **Okay. What would you like?}** "_

I think of the breakfasts Tom and I would have at his house. Every morning I was there, it would be his first suggestion and I would always say yes. He made them perfectly and I hope my eomeoni can make them almost as well. _"Paenkeikeu-iss-eo? **{Do you have pancakes?}** " _I ask her.

 _"Dang-yeonhaji. Jamkkan hue naega sijaghalgeoya. **{Of course. I'll get started on them in a minute.}** "_

 _"Gwaenchanh-a. **{Okay.}** "_ I scan the room for a second. "Um, do you mind if I just look around the house a little bit?"

"Ne jib-igido hae. Neoga wonhaneun geos-eulhaela. {It's your house, too. Do whatever you want.}"

 _Plain answer. Let me just see if that's true after a Project X party, a blazing fire and lots of sex._ I stand up, push my chair in and start with the living room. There were pictures on every table plus the mantle over the fire place. All the ones on the table were of my parents. As I pick each one of them up and studied them, I take note of every smile, every laugh, and every good memory. My parents didn't even look worried. Did they… not miss me? Did they only fight while I was gone? Was I possibly the cause of their complications?

There's an emotional pressure in my chest. I rub it a little and keep looking around.

The more I looked at the pictures, the more I felt depressed. So many smiles that I wasn't familiar with; I can't help but think they were somewhat better off without me, I thought I broke their hearts. They cried for me. Yet there were hundreds of pictures here that screamed otherwise. All I heard when I was around them was fighting and fighting and fighting. Now that their little girl is gone, they find it an opportunity to fill their years with happy times, laughable memories? They didn't even _look_ like they minded my absence…

Maybe I'm just being a little selfish. I was gone for nine years, for God's sake. They didn't have me around, and they couldn't find me no matter how hard they looked. They couldn't just sit around and cry for all of the time. Plus, it's clear they have fixed up their relationship a lot. They needed this. They need these pictures to be taken, these moments to happen. Should I be jealous? Or upset? Or should I be happy that they feel steady enough to take me back into their home?

Ugh. I shouldn't have come home. It makes me think too much.

When I turn to the mantle, there's a whole different theme to it: a baby Park Myung-hee. I stand in front of them and look at them with wide eyes.

They are so many of them! My Missing Person's photo was in the back of them all. Baby and toddler pictures surround them. There's a large one of me at my Baptism. On the left is me with my parents and godparents, and on the right is me with my grandparents. I nearly cry when I see them. I picked up the picture frame and stare at my eomeoni's parents (my abeoji's parents are in Donghae city province, if I remember correctly). I read the obituaries a lot in my time. They both died, my _halmeoni **{grandmother}**_ when I was fourteen and my _hal-abeoji **{grandfather}**_ right after my fifteenth birthday. I went to each of their wakes, saying goodbyes after everyone else had left. I hated myself after that. I still do. I broke their hearts when I left, and I didn't come home soon enough. They never saw their granddaughter again.

 _"Geugeon ne jalmos-i aniya. **{It wasn't your fault.}** "_ My eomeoni says, standing in the doorway.

I look back at her.

 _"Dul da am-e geollyeossseubnida. Geudeul-eun imi jug-eo gago iss-eossda. **{They both had cancer. They were dying already.}** "_

 _"Geuleona naneun tteonassda. **{But I left.}** "_ My voice comes out as barely a whisper. I touch my face; it's covered in tears. I hadn't realized I was crying. _"Naneun geudeul-ui ma-eum-eul da bu pul-eossseubnida. Neocheoleom, geudeul-eun naleul dasi wonhaessda. **{I broke their hearts, all of your hearts. Just like you, they wanted me back.}** Geudeul-eun naleul salanghaessda. Naneun geudeul-eul salanghaessda. Geuligo naneun geudeul-eul haechinda. **{They loved me. I loved them. And I hurt them.}** "_

My eomeoni hurries over to me, her arms opening up.

I step away quickly, avoiding the oncoming hug. I don't let anyone touch me when I'm sad.

She drops her arms and stands there awkwardly. There's the apologetic look again. _"Myung-hee, neo jasin-eul tashaji mala. **{Myung-hee, don't blame yourself.}**_ _Naega malhaessdeus-i: geudeul-eun am-e geollyeossseubnida. Geudeul-eun aghwadoego iss-eossda. **{Like I said: they had cancer. They were deteriorating.}** Geudeul-eun dangsin-i gwaenchanhdaneun geos-eul al-assgo geudeul-eun geugeos-eulo gwaenchanhdago malhaessda. **{They knew you were okay, and they said they were fine with that.}** Geudeul-eun gaggag ganeunghan han olae sal-assseubnida. Neoneun geugeollo amu sang-gwan-i eobs-eo. **{They each lived for as long as they could. You had nothing to do with it.}** "_

 _"Naneun geudeul-ui ma-eum-eul apeugehaessda. Geugeo al-a? **{I broke their hearts. Don't you get that?}** "_ I'm yelling at her now. My anger is too high to bear right now. _"Naneun meomulleoyahaessgo dangsin-ui bubuwa ssauneun munjeleul gyeondyeoyahaessneunde, aniya. **{I should have stayed and put up with your couple fighting issues, but no.}**_

 _Domang gayahaessgo da chiji anh-eumyeon moduleul dachyeoss-eo! Igeon nae jalmos-iya! **{I had to run away and hurt away and hurt everyone! This is my fault!}** _

_Bil-eo meog-eul geobjaeng-icheoleom domang chyeossgo jobumonimdo jag-eun Myung-hee iga jib-e dol-a oneun geos-eul boji moshaessseubnida! **{I ran away like a goddamn coward, and my grandparents didn't even get to see their little Myung-hee come home!}** Neomu neuj-eoss eo! Naneun geudeul-ui ma-eum-eul eo gigo gyeolko geugeos-eul gochil bangbeob-i eobs-eul geos-ida! **{I was too late! I broke their hearts, and there will never be a way to fix it!}** " _I look around frantically, not sure what to do. My tears are blinding me; I can't see anything but colored blurs. _"Naneun wicheung-e galgeoya. Na honjadugo bwa. **{I'm going upstairs. Just leave me alone for a while.}** " _I run towards the stairs to my room, my eomeoni watching me with tearful eyes.

I burst into my room and slam the door shut. Unable to take another step, I collapse to the floor and bury my face in my hands as I sob my eyes out with guilt and pain. _I can't do this. I can't handle this. It's too much. I can't do this by myself. Naneun wae dasi wassseubnikka? Naneun wonlae gyehoegdaelo meomulmyeonseo maenhaeteun-eulo gayahaessda. **{Why did I come back? I should have stayed with my original plan and gone to Manhattan.}** Eom-ma-ya, gaseum-i teojilgeoya. **{Oh my God, my chest is gonna explode.}** Jebal, igeol kkeutnaego sipda. **{Please God, I want this to end.}** "_

My tears slowly starting to stop when my eyes are turning red. I turn my thoughts to Tom. I need him to help me, to hold me, to make me smile. I need him to tell me everything will be okay. I need the scent of his cologne, the feel of his hands, and the sound of his soothing voice. I miss him too much, and now I have to deal with this issue on my own.

I think about my fit, screaming, and my crying. It was almost like one of those dramatic movie and show moments. Then I think of some sad dramatic music to play behind it, and I begin to laugh at myself. I must have looked like an absolute child. What was I thinking? I should have been an adult about it. Now all I see in that memory is a screaming little girl, stubborn and crying. I throw an anime crying face and laugh harder. Then I think of how I must look at right now. If I were looking at myself, I would probably look insane sitting here and laughing to myself about nothing to spoke for. What do I do? I laugh harder.

 _There you go,_ I hear Tom say. _Make yourself feel better. Just laugh about it._

And that's exactly what I do. I laugh about it.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

* **Brenna D'Amico** as Marilyn Rivera

* * *

 **Chapter III: You Look Tired.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

It's the first in a few days that I have returned to school. Stress is a killer on the face muscles; chest hurts like hell for crying so much. I set my stuff down on the lunch table and sit next to Marilyn.

"You look tired." She says, biting onto a french fry.

"You know that's just a nice way of telling me on how I look like I'm having a bad hair day, right? But. Yeah, I'm tired." I drop my head forward onto my back pack.

"Were you up all night?"

I reach into her tray and grab a couple of french fries. "Yeah. That's one of the reasons." The french fry in my hand is gone in two seconds.

"Hm. Maybe you should see Emily."

"The social worker? _Ani-yo. **{No.}**_ Not a chance. I'll be fine."

She spends the rest of the lunchtime talking about her problems while I just listen and I write in my notebook. I decided to write a fake diary entry based off of her.

According to the story, Martha (Marilyn) has parents who live in peace with everyone but her. They ignore her completely; she doesn't get fed, she has to buy her own stuff and they insult her every day. In reality, they cut her allowance in half and are making her take the Driver's Ed instead of letting her take the limo all the time. Personally, I think my version makes more sense.

"Are you even listening?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "Your mother is a _-I'm really not much of a vulgar word fan but I really have to say it-_ **bitch** , because she bought you a porsche instead of a Cadillac, and your 'asshole' father isn't defending you."

"Oh, good."

The security whistles loudly, and lunch is officially over. Everyone in the lunch room stands up and heads for the exit.

Knowing how the students are, I keep a ring on my finger at times to be sure it's still there.

Marilyn definitely notices it. "Where'd you get that ring, anyway?" she asks. "It's freaking _gorgeous._ No offense, but you don't exactly look like someone who can afford a jewelry like _that_."

"No offense taken. You're absolutely right. That's why it was a gift.

"From who? Your mom?"

I think I should tell her. I mean, it's all good if I choose my words so very carefully. I nod my head no.

"Your dad?"

Another nod.

"I didn't buy that for you, did I?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Not really."

"Hm…" she thinks of who would possibly be left in her list of assumptions. "Your… boyfriend?"

I don't answer her. I'm too busy holding back a smile.

"You didn't answer me. Oh crap, you didn't answer me! _Who?_ "

"Just a guy. No one important."

"He's your boyfriend! Of course he's important! Come on. What's the name?"

I shrug. "Tom."

She keeps close to me as we turn the corner, quickly approaching our classroom. "Tom… Tom… does he go to this school?"

 _He doesn't even go to school._ "Um, no. he's very smart, though. And some years older than me."

"Oh my god! You go after older guys, too?" She smiles widely.

"Um, _no_. I _prefer_ that I don't go _after_ them."

"Oh. Close enough?"

 _I Ileon, **{My God,}** you're too positive, woman._ "Yeah, I guess." I then feel my phone begin to ring in my pocket. I take it out and look at the screen. _Tom!_

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

I quickly press the phone to my chest, but it just wasn't enough.

Marilyn already saw it.

"Marilyn, shh. _I Ileon_ , please don't!"

"Oh. My. Fucking. _Shit!_ That's him! That's who I think it is!"

"Marilyn!" I grab her hand and press it over her mouth. I look around, and there are several people staring at us like we're crazy. _"What?"_ I say.

Their heads turn back in the direction they're going.

I look back at Marilyn, who's staring at me with wide, excited eyes. "I'm going to let go now, and you're going to shut your mouth. Okay?"

She shakes her head yes.

"Good." I slowly remove her and my hand from her mouth. "Proceed in _whispers_."

"Holy shit, you're Tom Hiddleston's mystery girl! You're Myung-hee?"

I rub my forehead in stress. "Yes. Yes I am. _Myung-hee_ is my native name. What about it?" Then I realize my phone's still vibrating. " _Eom-ma-ya! **{Oh my god!}**_ Hold on." I answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, love." Tom says.

"Tom, I…" I can feel myself blushing in my cheeks. "I miss you so much. You wouldn't _believe_ it.

"I know, darling. I've missed you too. I didn't get a chance to say _good morning_ to you this early."

"It's alright. It's still morning, so I will accept it for now."

"Good morning love."

I smiled, even though he can't see it. "Good morning."

Meanwhile, Marilyn's jumping up and down in front of me like a little girl, ready to scream her head off.

I sigh annoyingly. "Tom, can you just hold on for one second?"

"Sure."

I hold the phone to my chest. I look around for teachers or administration. Deciding that it's safe to go, I grab Marilyn's arm and pull her to the empty stairwell off to the side.

She goes along cooperatively still smiling like an idiot.

I bring the phone back up to my ear. "Alright. I'm back. And I have a very favor to ask you." I need to tell him Marilyn knows. I mean, it's not like she's going to go tell _everyone_.

"Anything you'd like."

I take a deep breath. "Before I ask, I should let you know that Marilyn knows."

"Marilyn knows what?" He sounds confused and curious.

"That my boyfriend is Tom Hiddleston."

He lets out a heavy breath. "Wonderful."

"I didn't tell her. I swear. I was looking to see who was calling me, and she saw your picture."

"It's true!" She says, her ear near the phone.

I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand.

"Do you think she'll tell anyone about us?" he asks.

I look at her; I know she head him.

She pulls my hand towards her just a bit. "I swear I won't tell a soul. Not that I even have a soul to tell. Your secret's safe with me."

I bring the phone back to my ear. "There you go."

"Good. I don't need this to get around. I would love to say you're my girlfriend, but not while I'm one of the paparazzi's main focuses."

"Yes. I know. I understand. Now… about that favor…"

"You want me to talk to her, don't you?"

"Yes."

It takes him a minute, but he finally agrees to it. "Alright." I can hear the smile in his voice.

"Thank you, Tom." I look at Marilyn, hold my breath and hold the phone towards her.

Her eyes widen. "You're not serious."

I nod my head yes.

"This is really him?"

I nod again.

"Tom Hiddleston."

Another nod.

"Thomas William-"

"Marilyn, will you _please_ take the phone?"

I hear Tom laugh on the other end of the call.

Her jaw drops as she silently screams. Her jewelry rattles as she hops and down. Finally, she takes a deep breath, calms herself down, and takes the phone to her ear. "H-Hello?"

I watch her as she speaks to Tom Hiddleston for the first time.

She quickly fans herself. She looks like she's about to cry. "Oh. My. God. Hi. Hello. How are you? Oh my God, I'm talking to Tom Hiddleston!"

 _Heungbun._ ** _{_** ** _Excitement.}_** _Naneun ohilyeo dulyeoumbodaneun cheoeum mannass-eul ttae geugeos-eul gyeongheomhaess-eul geos-ibnida. **{I would rather have experienced that when I first met him rather than fear.}**_

"Yes, I am a huge fan. I freaking love you! … Oh, it was my pleasure. Really… Yes, she is right. I am a huge fashionista." _You told him about me?_ She mouths out to me.

I nodded my head.

"Okay, I'll give you back to Athena - _I mean_ Myung-hee as you would prefer it. But I just have a quick question. I heard you sing in Cymbeline and you sang that Bob Dylan song. Can you sing something? ... Please, please. Please…" she's silent again.

I stare at the phone waiting for her to give it back.

She starts smiling and hopping. "Oh my God, your _voice_. Thank you so much! Okay, sorry for taking up your time. Here's Myung-hee." Hand shaking as she hands the phone to me.

I take it from her before she drop it. "Sorry about- _Aya_! **_{Ouch!}_** "

Marilyn nearly knocks me backwards with an enormous hug. Her arms are wrapped around my neck, showing me the love and appreciation she has for me right now. And she _really_ loves and appreciates me.

"Sweetheart? What happened?"

I try to keep the phone to my ear. "Nothing. Just a minor attack. That's all."

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" Marilyn squeals.

"She's just…" Her grip is having quite an effect on my breathing. "She's just, _really… happy…_ "

"I can imagine."

"Yes." I tap on Marilyn back. " _Araso. **{Alright.}**_ Mar-Marilyn? _Marilyn._ I like breathing, please. Breathing is, breathing is _nice_ …"

She releases me, her cheeks pink from such a big smile.

I cough a few times. "Hello?"

"Still here." Tom says, laughing.

I narrow my eyes. "Because that is so _funny_ , right?"

"Well, when you're just listening."

I roll my eyes. "Thank you _, Jagiya. **{Darling.}** Judo sarang haeyo **{I love you too}**._"

"Aww! I feel like I'm watching in a Korean drama TV show. You guys got pass _'Saranghae-yo as I love you'_ already?" She sticks out her bottom lip, still holding a smile.

I raise my eyebrow. Then I just shake my head and ignore it. "How's it going over there?"

"Pretty well. I haven't got anything to do yet, so I have a _lot_ of free time."

"You mean you could have stayed here _longer_?"

"Sweetheart, I was missing home. England is where I belong right now."

"Yeah. I know—wait, hold on. England?"

"Yes, darling. Where I live."

" _Eh?!_ You told me _Los Angeles_. _Not England_."

"No. I told you I was _stopping_ in Los Angeles. But I said I was heading to England."

I don't know if I should be mad or not. Then I remember that is what he said sometime during our first date. England. That's so much more distance than I thought. Imagine if I move back to Korea with my parents that would be even farther than here. Well, this kind of sucks. So much for a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend. But I'm not going to let it bother me. Instead, I say something else. "Oh… then I am definitely saving money to go visit you."

He laughs. "I'm not sure you'll like my flat. It's so small and _messy_."

"Oh please. I don't care. As long as I can't get lost, it's all good."

"I think you would do fine. And I would love to have you here one summer."

I smile and stare down at my ring. "Alright, I should go now. I'm still in school."

"Alright, darling. I'll talk to you soon. I love you."

"I love you too." I wait for him to hang up then slide my phone into my pocket.

Marilyn is in _tears_. "That was so adorably romantic."

I roll my eyes and start walking up the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

 _ *****_ **Grace Randolph _{Beyond the Trailer Youtuber}_** as the Interview reporter from E! News

* **Chris Hemsworth** as Himself

* * *

 **Chapter IV: Say Something.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

After locking the door and setting my stuff down. I go into the kitchen and head for the fridge. I open it up and grab a cold water bottle off the door. I throw it closed and walk my way towards the living room, plopping down on the long couch. I take the TV remote from the armrest and turn on the flat screen SmartTV. I flip through the channels for something interesting to watch. Since most half of the television shows are as disappointing as always (I mean, seriously, just look at what happened to Disney Channel), though one channel involve Kdramas like _'My girlfriend is a Gumiho', 'Boys Over Flowers', 'You're beautiful'_ and any other Korean dramas that I so loved to watch are in _AsianTV channel_ is the one of the channels I so enjoy along with BBC. However I will put that aside first as I decided to tune into _E!_ News for a while.

"Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are engaged!"

"Oh how super!" I reply sarcastically to the television. I take my cellphone out of my pocket and open up my app for fan fictions. I choose a story about Tae-Kyung and Go Mi Nyu from _'You're Beautiful'_ that I haven't read yet and begin reading, now half-listening to their unexpected reunion.

 _Tae-Kyung glanced up just as Go Mi Nyu entered his room with her blankets. "Why did you bring all of those?"_

 _"What?"_

 _He shook his head and gestured towards the opposite side of the bed. "You can share my bed as always, seeing as how you've always claimed to hate sleeping on the floor."_

 _Go Mi Nyu stuttered trying to find a response, but gave up when nothing came to mind. Slowly she lowered her blankets to the floor and with heavy steps moved towards the bed. Tae-Kyung gave her a smirk and laid down as she slipped under the covers. Her heart was racing and her breath was coming in panicked gasps._

 _"Go Mi Nam?"_

 _"H-huh?"_

 _"You're too noisy."_

 _"R-r-right. Sorry."_

 _Go Mi Nyu kept as still as possible when he rolled towards her. When he propped himself up to face her, she felt her heat up and her heart beats even faster than before. "Now Go Mi Nam tell me whether your sister mentioned me in any of the letters."_

 _"Yes."_

I take a second to glance up at the television as the story changes. "Hm," I say. "Jennifer Aniston's engaged. How about that?"

 _He quirked a brow and waited, but she added no more. "Yes? And what did she say?"_

 _"Um… she said that she missed you and… uh… that she was happy."_

 _"That's it?"_

 _She nodded and kept her eyes averted so he couldn't see the tears trying to form. She took a deep breath and exhaled a shuttering sigh. "That's it."_

 _"Why do I get the feeling there's something you aren't telling me?"_

 _Closing her eyes she tried to calm her racing heart, but lying so close to him without being in his arms was maddening, but she dared not to move. She felt a pressure on her shoulders and when she open her eyes she faced Tae-Kyung. He pressed down on her shoulders holding her in place as he smirked down at her._

 _"I'm not letting you go until you tell me what it is you're hiding from me. Go Mi Nam tell me NOW!"_

Another glance at the television. It's an Avengers' interview with Chris Hemsworth. Nice I wonder if he even remembers me… doubt it.

 _His nose was almost touching hers and she could feel his breath mingling with hers as his eyes bore down into hers._

 _"Hyung-nim!"_

 _Groaning she realized what she said just as his eyes widened and he shifted away from her slightly. "Hyung-nim?" He looked at her questioningly and then she saw that realization dawn him. "Go Mi Nyu?"_

 _"It's me."_

 _"Why didn't you tell me?"_

 _She shifted and he moved away so she could sit up. "I didn't want anyone to find out. I didn't want you to suffer like last time."_

 _"Do you think that I haven't suffered all this time with you gone? Do you think I care what others would have thought if they had found out about you? Go Mi Nyu, I've waited all this time. You should have told me from the beginning."_

 _"I'm sorry. I just didn't want anyone to know."_

 _"Do the others know?"_

 _She nodded. "They realized it earlier after the rehearsal when I slipped. They promised not to tell you."_

 _He gazed at her hurt. "So you were just going to come and go without ever telling me?"_

 _Again she nodded. "Yes."_

"Yeah, Tom's a great guy" is the sentence that makes me look up immediately, hoping Tom would be there. I know these are new interviewers when I see Zachary Levi on-screen talking about _Thor: The Dark World_. Unfortunately, there is no Tom, so I go back to my reading.

 _Tae-kyung moved so fast that she had no time to react. She found herself once again on her back with him hovering over her. She swallowed hard and tried to calm the racing beat of her heart as he smiled down at her for a second before he leaned in and kissed her. This kiss wasn't anything like the others they had shared. This kiss was filled with longing and desire and while she felt herself falling victim to the feelings it arose in her she also felt nervous fear take root. She had seen what happened between men and women during her stay in Africa, had been educated on the courtship of couples, something she hadn't really understood during her stay at the nunnery. Having read the desire in his eyes before he kissed her she knew where this night would lead._

 _He sensed her nervousness and forced himself to pull away. He gazed down into her eyes and felt his heart flutter with happiness over the mere sight of her. It had been a long six months without her and now here she was, in his bed, in his arms, her lips swollen from his kiss. He smiled down at her, trying to say with his eyes that it was alright now, that she was here and wasn't going to let her go again. "Trust me."_

 _Two simple words, one huge meaning but she understood what he was asking her. She nodded and closed her eyes as he leaned into kiss her again—_

My reading stops, along with, for a moment, my heart. _"Here I am with Tom Hiddleston to talk about a couple of movies, actually. I wanna talk about Thor: The Dark World, but I just want to ask you about an upcoming film, Only Lovers Left Alive. From what I know so far, you'll be working with Tilda Swinton. What do you think that will be like?"_

There he is, in his leather-jacket-and-plain-V-neck combination. His hair seems a little shorter, and it's slicked back. His cheekbones aren't as prominent as I remember them, but he is in front of a camera. Of course, he's going to look different. _"I've met with her already, actually."_ Tom says. _"She is an… an absolutely amazing woman and actress. She's so talented. I'm a bit of a fan, really and to be working with her…working with her, I think, will be amazing and practically an honor."_

 _"What's the movie about?"_ The interviewer asks.

"Adam's a musician." I say. _"Who doesn't like the way the human are going, so he looks for his lover-for-centuries, Eve. Then Eve's annoying little sister, Ava, gets in the way, and she'll probably end up screwing around."_

Tom gives an almost summary as mine. He only told it to me about ten. He stutters quite a bit on television. I never noticed how nervous he can look sometimes. _"And yeah. There you go."_

 _"It sounds like an interesting movie. I'm just gonna have to go watch it."_

 _"Once we're finished."_

 _"Of course."_

The interviewer bites her lip and smiles. _"I've already heard enough about the sequel of Thor from your fellow cast-mates. I have a few… other questions for you."_

 _"Oh dear," he says, laughing and smiling nervously. "Why do I have a feeling I know what you're going to ask?"_

 _"One of our Sexiest Men Alive has a woman at his side. Am I right?"_

Another nervous "ehehe" laugh. I miss that, and this is the closest I will get to hearing it again. _"I knew that was coming up. I knew it. Oh, come on. You don't really care about my love life, do you?"_

 _"Are you kidding me? We searched through our Twitter account and read thousands of messages requesting we talk about it. It's even a hashtag. Can you believe that?"_

 _"No. No it's not. You're joking."_

The interviewer reaches to the side, grabbing something from one of the crew members. It's a piece of paper she shows to Tom. _"There it is, the third one. Hashtag: Loki'sLuckyLady. Loki's Army wants to know: is there a Lady Loki in your life?"_

He blushes and looks down. He rubs the back of his neck.

"Come on, sweetie," I say. "Say something. Anything."

 _"I think I'll skip that question. Whether I'm taken or not, stays with me until further notice."_

The woman nods her head and backs. _"Alright. I respect that. Just remember to come E! first._

 _"Of course."_

I turn off the television and toss the remote to the side. I take out my cellphone and bring up Tom's number. I decide to send him a text rather than call him since I don't know if he's busy or not. I type: _Thank you for keeping it a secret_ , and I send it to him. Not afraid of an emotion, great actor, perfect sense of humor, a kind gentleman and faithful to his word.

Tom Hiddleston is a keeper.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* **Jake T. Austin** as Michael De Soto

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

* **Brenna D'Amico** as Marilyn Rivera

* **Tyler James Williams** as Eric

* **Madison Pettis** as Alice

* * *

 **Chapter V: Please Tell Me There's Another One.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

 _"Eom-ma-ya, **{Oh my god,}** "_ I say to Marilyn as I munch on french fries from McDonald's. "I thought the weekend would never come."

"I agree," she replies. "The week has been so damn long. I don't get it. Did they add another day to the week or something?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. I just want to get home."

"Why? So you can talk to _Tom_?"

"What are you? A middle schooler?"

"No. I'm friends with Tom Hiddleston's fucking _mystery_ girl. That's what I am."

"It's not that big of a deal. He's a human, not a god."

"No, but he played Loki Laufeyson, and he's a god. He has the looks of a god too. You at _least_ have to admit that."

"I'm not an expert at this, but I'm pretty sure our friendship is not a stage where you can _fan-girl_ with me."

"Sorry."

I can imagine giving me a look that says "that was mean", and I roll my eyes and take a deep breath. "Martin Freeman makes a great hedgehog."

"You saw that post, too? Oh my God, they should be a cartoon series or something. Something about an otter and hedgehog."

I finish my fries and crumple up the bag. I throw it into the bag from across the table, and it lands in a perfect shot. "Nice." I reach into my front pocket of my bag for my cellphone. "I'm sorry, but I don't see the comparison between Sherlock and an otter."

"What? He totally looks like one. How can you not see it?"

I check the time. "Oh three o'clock. Would you mind going to Remo's with me real quick?"

"Why? We already have enough food here." She bites into her chicken sandwich."

"I'm not going to buy food." I slide out of my seat and put on my backpack. "I just need to see someone before they go on their break. I mean, if they haven't already."

She gathers the trash and stuffs them into the bag. She hands me one of those pies, grabs her things, and gets up from the table.

We exit McDonald's and walk to Remo's next door. The restaurant is packed with what I assume to be hungry customers, yet it's still easy as hell to spot who I'm looking for. He stands at the end of a small family table, taking orders and scribbling them down on his little notepad.

I smiled and open the door. I enter and wait behind a man paying for his meal. Once he's finished, I step forward.

When she turns and seems me on the counter. "Athena Park." She says. "Long time no see."

"Same to you, Alice."

"I was wondering what happened to you. Thought you got kidnapped or something."

I nod my head. "I'm perfectly fine. I just went onto live with someone else for a little while. That's all."

"Tom Hiddleston, no doubt. Last time I saw you two in here, things didn't seem to be going down well. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. It's all good. It was a little misunderstanding, but we got around quite well."

"Mhm. Now what business did you have arguing with Tom Hiddleston? You didn't like his movie or something?"

"One, that's a dumbass reason to fi—er, argue with me. The second reason remains with me."

"I see. Well, Eric should be over here in about three… two… one…"

"Athena." Eric says, approaching the counter.

"Zero." Alice finishes off.

"Hey, Eric." I say to him. I turn to him and smile. I reach up and give him a hug.

"How you been? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

I roll my eyes in amusement. "Tom's not like. He's cool. And I've been… better, I guess." I look behind me and hold a hand out towards Marilyn. "This is my friend, Marilyn, from school. Marilyn, this is my friend, Eric, from… well, I forgot where we met."

"Hi." She says with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." He replies. He takes her hand, but there doesn't seem to be much shaking going on.

"Right. Well, I just came to see how you are. It's been a long time."

He lets go of Marilyn's hand and returns his attention to me. "I know. I was worries you forgot about me or something. Is everything going well in your life? You didn't get in trouble with the law or something, did you?"

"No, no. Actually, I king of… um… I went home."

He looks at me as if he hasn't got a clue of what I'm talking about. "Home? As in, you finally found a place you like?"

"Um, no. I mean I finally went to the home where my parents have been grieving over my absence and praying will come home. That home."

"Nice job." He smiles. "I'm proud of you." He gives me a little fist-bump. "I should buy you a pizza for that."

I shrug. "Maybe for another day. We just finished eating for the day."

"I see. Well, come in again so I can buy it for you. It's nice to have you visit."

"Same here." Alice says. "Hey, if you ever need a job. I'll be happy to let you share mine. I don't get enough breaks as it is."

"Um, I don't think Mr. Ferucci will like that very much."

She waves my words away. "I'm his favorite niece in the _world_ , and I have him wrapped around my damn finger. I think he'll be fine with it."

"Okay. I'll stop by tomorrow to talk about it."

"Sounds good." She turns to shout at someone in the noisy kitchen behind her. Something about an order from twenty minutes ago.

I look at Eric. "Well, I should get going. I want to the library for a while."

"It was great to see you." He gives a huge hug, then he looks at Marilyn. "A pleasure to meet you." He says.

"Same to you." Marilyn bats her big eyes, twirling her hair with her index and middle finger.

I shake my head and exit the restaurant. "Nice." I say to Marilyn.

"What?" She says. "He's really cute. I just wanted to flirt a little bit."

"I think he's interested in Alice. At least, that's what it seemed like the last I saw the two of them."

"Shame. Maybe he'll change his mind."

 _Yeah, and maybe Hell will freeze over._ I cross the street to the library. I walk up the ramp to the entrance, passing drunks and druggers and ignoring their requests for money (as if I had any myself). I never resorted to that. I never asked for money or food. I would just sit on the sidewalk like it was nothing, sometimes singing just for the fun of it, and a few sympathetic-looking people would drop a few bucks on my lap. The only time that pissed me off was when people kept dropping change in my coffee.

"What are we doing here, exactly?" Marilyn asks.

"I just want to see if they have any Shakespeare books to give away." I answer quietly. I walk to the giant staircase, the first thing you see when you enter this library. "One of the librarians told me to come back in a week or two to check if they're giving away any of his books. I gave them three, so I'm coming in to see today."

"Alright. I'll be look for comic books. Do they even have those here?"

I shrug. "I don't even know. I have never bothered to look. I usually go to Barnes and Noble for that. Alright, I will be back soon."

"Okay." She disappears into the children's section.

I rush up the steps and to the librarian's desk. He's helping another kid right now—a little taller than me, well-built body dressed in a green, collared t-shirt (looks like Polo) and beige shorts that fall to his knees. _Paesyeon-e joh-eun mas. Neoneun buja da. **{Nice taste in fashion. No doubt you're rich.}**_

He thanks the librarian. When he turns around to leave, my heart rips in half. In his hand is the book I have been waiting for: _Othello_ , and it's in _beautiful_ condition.

I don't hesitate in showing my disappointment, I let out a sigh, my shoulders drooping with sadness. _Lucky you._

His eyes lower in concern, not why this strange girl looks so upset. He'll probably thinks I'm weird.

"Please tell me there's another one." I say, looking past the boy and at the librarian.

His look is apologetic. "Sorry. That's the last one. There's won't be any more until next month."

I close my eyes and let out another sigh. "Alright." I turn around and head back to the main entrance. I make it halfway down the steps when I hear someone calling for my attention.

"Wait a second!"

I turn around and see the boy from the librarian's desk. I stay still while he runs down the steps.

"Here." He says, and he hands me the Othello book.

"Eh?! No, keep it. I can wait another month."

"Yeah, so can I. I've got loads of books at home. Take this one."

I raise an eyebrow. I hesitantly take the book without arguing because I have no desire to do so. "Thank you." I swing my book bag around and open the large pocket. I slide the book in, careful not to ruin it or crease it.

"I'm Michael, by the way." He says.

I zip the bag closed and swing it back to its original position. "Athena."

"Athena." He repeats. "That's a beautiful name."

"I would hope so. I wouldn't want a weird name."

"Like Tayten, maybe?" He laughs.

 _Geuneun yumeo gamgag-iiss-eo. Naneun geugeos-i johdaneun geos-eul jimjaghanda. **{He's got a sense of humor. I guess that's good**.} Geuligo geuui us-eum-eun salang seuleobda. **{And his laugh is adorable.}**_ "My mother's name is Tayten."

His eyes widen, and he shuts up immediately. "I'm so sorry. I thought-"

I started giggle. I know that was mean, but his reaction was priceless. "I'm just kidding."

He breathes a sigh of relief. He laughs quietly, nervously.

I look him up and down. He doesn't seem like he's from around here. His clothes look _way_ too fashionable. "Sorry, I have to ask. Are you new here or something? I've never seen you around town."

"Oh no. I'm new to Stamford. My mom's job moved, and so did we. She didn't feel like looking for another job, I guess."

"Oh I see. Recently, or…"

"Last weekend."

"Ah. Well, welcome to Stamford, then. I hope it doesn't bore you."

His eyebrows lower again. "Why? Do you find it boring?"

"For my age, yes. There's nothing for teens here. Just adults and kids." I'm only speaking from what my friend, Marilyn tells me. I was in New York for a long time, so I'm getting pretty tired of it already, so I guess I'm not really lying."

"I noticed that. My mom bought a map. I have no idea why she did it. But I looked it over, and it doesn't seem like a great hangout for kids."

Did I hear him? No. it wasn't until now I got a proper look at his face. He has the jawline of a _god_. His hair, near black and cropped in almost a proper, rich kid's style you see in movies. His eyes are brown, but there's a light in them that can put an _angel_ in a trance. He looks very much Hispanic, with flawless dark skin, but I can't tell where he's from. No matter; he's stunning, anyway. When I realize I haven't been paying attention, and I have been quiet for too long. I quickly cover it up with a question. "So what school do you go to?"

"Stamford High."

"Oh, me too. How do you like it so far?"

"It's pretty good. I'm still getting used to the random fights."

"Yeah, so am I. It's so stupid that they feel a need to take care of it during school."

"I agree. We're just trying to get through the day. Don't make us have to deal with your problems."

"Exactly."

He checks the time on his cellphone—a brand-new IPhone, no surprise. "I should get going. Homework."

"That sucks. Good luck with that."

"Thanks. Bye." He walks past me and down the stairs.

I watch him as he hurries out the door. _Naneun geuleul joh-ahanda. Geuneun meosjida. **{I like him. He's cool.}**_ My phone starts buzzing wildly. I quickly take it out to see who it is. I smile immediately when I see it's a Face-Time request from Tom. I answer it and take out my earphones from my bag.

"Hello, darling." Tom says.

"Hey Tom. Can you give me just two seconds?" My hands shake as I rush to untangle my earphones why they always intend on making the most stubborn knots in my pockets.

"Sure."

Finally. I plug in the earphones and put one of my earbuds in my ear. "Hey, sorry about that. I was two seconds away from throwing my earphones across the room."

He smiles. "There was no rush. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, nothing at all. I'm just in the library looking for Marilyn." I start moving down the staircase and enter the children's section of the library. "She went looking for comic books, now I don't know where she is."

"I'm sure she's near the teenager's area. Isn't that where they keep those kind of books?"

"I don't even know. I have never come into the library to look for comic books."

"Oh, I hope you find her."

"Yeah, me too. Why send for a Face-Time request instead of calling? Did you not have to work today?"

"Fortunately, I did not. It's raining hard over here, too hard for production. They gave everyone the day off. It's about time, too. I thought I'd never get a break."

"Aw, is Mr. Hiddleston tired?" I smile.

"Exhausted, actually. I need some sleep."

"So why in the world are you calling me? You should be getting some sleep."

"Because I wanted to see you. Besides, I have all day to sleep. I just needed to see my cute girlfriend for a while."

I blushed a little for him calling me _cute_. "I miss you, you know that. Right?"

"Yes, I know. I never cease to feel guilty."

"Guilty about what? It's not like you had a choice. I have a life here, you have a life there."

"I know, but I wish every day I could bring you here. I would love having you live with me."

"I'm sure I would be able to in summer. My parents let me do anything but work and stress as such."

"What would you ask them? _'Do you mind if I go live with Tom Hiddleston in England for a while?'_ That should work."

"How about, 'A friend of mine moved to England and invited me to stay for the summer. Can I go?' I don't have to say your name."

"I'd rather you not lie to your parents."

I sigh annoyingly. I run down the steps to the bottom level. "Are you my friend?"

"If you considered me one."

"Are you in England?"

"I believe so."

"Then I'm not lying."

"I didn't move here. I lived here already."

"See, now you're just nitpicking."

He laughs. "I'm just joking with you. We'll talk about it another time."

"Fair enough." Just then, I see Marilyn running towards me with a stack of books. My eyes widen as she approaches me with excited eyes and the biggest smile I have ever seen her make that expression.

"Thor. Captain America. The Avengers. Superman. They've got 'em. They have 'em here. Oh my god, they have them."

"Let me guess. You're going to go-"

She shoots past me and dashes up the steps, not even bothering to hear the end of my sentence.

"Borrow them." I say anyway as I slightly shook my head.

"I take it she found some comic books, then?" Tom ask.

"I think so." I enter the section for Romance books.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

* **Cha Seung-Won** as Park Woo-bin {Myung-hee's father}

* * *

 **Chapter VI: Take Me Away From Here.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

I lay in my bed, my earphones in my ears and Evanescence playing quietly from my phone. I refuse to open my eyes; I don't want the lovely after-feeling of sleep to go away. It's too relaxing to let go of. _I shall lay here. I shall lay here all day, listen to music, and question my purpose of me coming home, because this is truly boring._

Laying here all day is not an option; there's a loud knock on my bedroom door. "Myung-hee?" my Abeoji says.

I groan, annoyed, and roll out of bed. I take out my earphones and throw my phone to the side. I make sure it's far away enough for me to miss it when I plan to fall onto my bed and return to my sleep. As I stand up, I sense the lovely feeling draining from my body and mind, and it makes me sad. I'm obviously not getting back. I twist the door knob and yank it open (the door is too un-even to just open smoothly).

My abeoji stands in the doorway with a box in his hands, a very _big_ box.

"Appa." I say while looking to him then down at the box, not sure what's in the box. I eye at the center of the flaps, trying to peer through the crack where they're just not long enough to meet. _""Sangjaga mwoya? **{What's the box for?}** "_

He shrugs. _"Myeoch gaji seonmul. naneun neoui dongchanghoe da-eumnal geudeul-eul delyeowassda. **{A few presents. I got them the day after your homecoming.}** Naneun neoleul dulyeowohaji anhgo neoleul jogeum deo wilohaeyahandago saeng-gaghaessda. **{I thought I should comfort you a little instead of scaring you off again.}** "_

 _"Ige jeongmal amugeosdo gochil su eobsdaneun geos-eul alji? **{You realize this isn't really going to fix anything, right?}** "_ I lean sideways against the wall. I ignore the Winnie the Pooh sticker they just never had the heart to take off the wall.

 _"Neowa geunyeoneun ssawossgo ssawossda. wae jag-eun Myung-hee iga ulgo iss-eossneunjibodaneun neowa segseuga-eobsneun iyue deo manh-eun gwansim-i ssollyeossda. **{You and her fought and fought, and more attention was paid to why there was no sex between you than why was little Myung-hee crying.}** Geuligo geugeos-eun danji hanaui yee bulgwahabnida. **{And that's just one example.}** "_

My words hurt him. A wave of emotional pain passes over his face, but it disappears quickly. He better not expect me to take it back. _"Naneun uliga sesang-eseo gajang joh-eun bumoga anieossdaneun geos-eul algo issseubnida. **{I realize we weren't the best parents in the world.}** Geuligo seonmullo syawo haneunge uliga neoege eotteon pihaeleul ibhyeossneunji chiyuhaji anh-eulgeoya. **{And I know showering you with presents will not heal what damage we've caused you.}** Hajiman naega dasi jib-eissneun geoscheoleom neukkil su issdolog naega hal su-issge haejwo. **{But let me do what I can to make you feel like you're at home again.}** "_

 _"Naneun jib-eissneun geoscheoleom neukkibnida. { **I do feel like I'm at home.}** Deo seoldeug hal pil-yoga eobs-seubnida. { **There's no need for further convincing.}** "_

 _"Myung-hee, nega geuleohji anhdaneun geos-i bunmyeonghada. uliga eumsig-eul jegonghagileul gidalibnida. mul, juseu, ttaeloneun keopileul yoguhabnida. **{Myung-hee, it's very clear that you aren't. You wait for us to offer you food. You ask for water, and juice, and sometimes coffee.}**_

 _Yogsil sayong-e daehae uliege mudgikkajihabnida. Dangsin-i jeongmallo jib-eseo neukkindamyeon dangsin-eun geuleohgedoeji anh-eul geos-ibnida. **{You even ask us if we mind you using the bathroom. You wouldn't be that way if you really felt at home.}** Naneun nega yeogi issgileul wonhaji anhneundago saeng-gaghanda. Uliga jeonyeog-eul meog-eumyeon ne nun-eseo bol su-iss-eo. **{I'm guessing you don't even want to be here. I can see it in your eyes when we're having dinner.}**_

 _Jebal, nawa eomeoniga dowajuge. neoleul wihaeseoga anilamyeon, ulileul wihaeseo. **{Please, just let me and your mother help. If not for you, then for us.}** "_

 _"Naneun ne doum-i pil-yo eobs-eo. **{I don't need your help.}** "_ I think of something Tom would tell me. _You need to give them a chance. You're the only thing in their life they love the most._ Yes, that sounds about right. _"Hajiman na-ege mueos-eul eod-eossseubnikka? **{But what did you get for me?}** " _I step aside to let him into my room.

He walks in with the box and sets it down on my bed. He sits down next to it and looks at me, waiting for me to sit down with him.

I sigh deeply in annoyance. I move forward and plop down on my bed, on the other side of the box. I keep my hands on my lap and wait patiently to open it and reveal its contents.

He opens it up and pulls out several folded clothings. He lies them out on the bed for me to see.

I raise an eyebrow. These are very high fashions he has here, the kind you save several paychecks for. Dresses, shirts, blouses, shorts and a couple of pairs of shoes.

 _"Neohui eomma ga mullon gollass-eo. **{Your mother picked them out, of course.}** " _He says, noticing how I'm staring at the clothes. _"Bang-geum don-eul naess-eo. Naneun igeos-i eotteohge yuhaeng-inji jeonhyeo moleujiman, ne eomeonineun neo jasingwa gat-eun sibdae sonyeodeul-i ibgo sip-eohaneun geos-eul algoissneun geos gatda. { **I just paid for them. I have no idea how these are fashionable, but your mother seems to know what teenage girls, like yourself, like to wear.}** "_

I nod. _"Naneun geudeul-eul joh-ahae. geudeul-eun aju meosjida. Naneun teughi deuleseuleul joh-ahanda. igineun hajiman… **{I like them. They're very nice. I especially like the dresses. Although…}** " I_ pinch the hem of one of the dresses between my index and middle finger and lift it up a bit. _"Damhongsaeg? Jeongmal? **{Pink? Really?}** "_

 _"Eum, agicheoleom saeg-eul joh-a haess-eoss janh-ayo. Os-i bunhongsaeg-i anieossdamyeon ul geos-ibnida. **{Well, you used to love the color as a baby. You would cry if your clothes weren't pink.}** Nega jala nandago saeng-gaghaji anh-assda. **{We didn't think you would outgrow it.}** " _He reaches in and pulls out a black iPad case then hands it over to me.

It's heavier in my hands than it should be. I lift the cover, and underneath is a shiny, black, brand new iPad in absolutely perfect condition. My jaw drops just the slightest bit. It's so… expensive. That's all I can think right now. It must have cost him quite a few dollars. _"Uwa. iPad? Neo jinsim-iya? **{Whoa. iPad? Are you serious?}** "_

He nods. _"Ye. Nega joh-a halgeola saeng-gag haess-eo. Geulaeseo naneun nega bwassdeon gajang joh-assgo choesin geos-eul sass-eo. **{Yes. I thought you might like it, so I bought the best and newest one I saw just for you.}** Naneun gusig chaegsang mit-e chungjeongiwa se gaeui daleun keiseuleul gajigoissda. geuligo hangaji deo. **{I have the charger and three other cases for your old desk downstairs. And one more thing.}** " _He takes out a beautiful Nikon camera, small and perfect for carrying with me.

 _"Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}** "_ I take it from his hands and study it. It's just the way I saw it in ads and catalogs. _"Coolplx P510eun geomjeongsaeg-ibnikka? Andwae! **{A Coolplx P510 in black? No way!}** "_ I turn it left and right, studying the detail and quality of the camera itself.

 _"Nega geuleoljido moleugessda. iyuneun moleugessjiman iyagieseo boassseubnida. Naneun geugeol joh-ahal geos-ilago saeng-gaghaessseubnida. **{I thought you might like that. I don't know why, but I saw it in the story, and I thought you would like it.}** Geulaeseo naneun geu salam-eul bulleo naessgo, geuneun naleul wihae hanaleul gajyeo gassgo, dangsin-i wonhal ttae eonjedeunji geugeos-eul sayonghagi wihae geugeos-eul gu-ibhaessseubnida. **{So I called the guy over, he took one out for me and I bought it for you to use whenever you want.}"**_

I look at each and every one of the gifts. So much of his money was put into this. I should be ecstatic. Anyone would kill to have this stuff. I mean, it's the finest-quality gifts out there. They're absolutely perfect. And they're for me and me only. I finally have all these nice, expensive things like I've always wanted. But… why do they make me so sad?

 _"Eotteohge saeng-gaghae? **{What do you think?}** " _My abeoji says, pulling me from my thoughts.

I surface from my sea of thoughts just long enough to answer him. _"Jeongmal gomabseubnida. Geugeos-eun naega kkumkkwo wassdeon geos-ibnida. **{Thank you, so much. It's what I dreamed of having.}** Neo naega eolmana gomawohaneunji moleugessda. **{You have no idea how much I appreciate this.}"** _I set the camera aside, along with iPad. I lean forward and hug my abeoji as tightly as my weak body can take.

 _"Neoleul joh-ahaeseo gippeo, yeobo. **{I'm glad you like it, sweetheart**_ **.}** " He says as he kisses me on the cheek and hugs me back.

It's too awkward for me; I'm the first one to pull away. I smile at him.

 _"Johguna. **{Alright.}** "_ He stands up and stretches up to the ceiling. _"Laebtab keiseu ttoneun gita mulgeongwa gat-i daleun geos-i pil-yohan gyeong-u allyeojuseyo. **{If you need anything else, like a laptop case or something, just tell me.}** Naneun neoleul haengboghage eod-eulgeoya. **{I'll happily get it for you.}** "_

 _"Gwaenchanh-a. Gomabseubnida **{Okay. Thank you.}** "_

He exits the room, closing the door behind. But it reopens quickly. _"O, siljelo majimag-eulo han gajiga issseubnida. **{Oh, there's actually one last thing.}** "_

I tilt my head to the side, curious.

He carries in another large box, but this one has been taped and closed properly, almost professionally. _"Eoje uli jib bakk-e iss-eoss-eo. Geugeos-eun mesijiwa hamkke upyeon-eulo balsongdoeeossseubnida. Hang-gong upyeon-eulo boibnida. **{This was outside our house yesterday. It was mailed in with a message. Seems to be air-mail.}** " _He takes a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and read it to me. _'Make sure she gets this soon. Tell her I bought this for her. She should know who you're talking about. And tell her I'm proud of her. – T.W.H'_

I reached my hands out for the box like a child reaching out for her doll. I grip it, and the weight immediately affects my arms as I lower it to my bed. I dig my fingers underneath the cardboard flaps, but instantly stop when I realize my abeoji is still here. _"Naneun naega honjaseoi chaeg-eul yeol-eo jul geos-ilago saeng-gaghanda. gyeolgug geugeos-eun nae geos-ibnida. **{I think I will be open this one by myself. After all, it is mine.}**_ "

He raise his hand up in defense. _"Johguna. Joesonghabnida. Naneun jigeum tteonanda. **{Alright. Sorry. I'm leaving now.}** "_ As he exits, I see him glance at the box, a look of curiosity on his face. He's wondering who's sending his daughter presents.

As I make sure he's gone, then I sit cross-legged on my bed. I tear the box open, throwing the tape on the floor. I take out a large, white box from it, and there's a picture of a microphone on it. The box is huge; that has to be a pretty big microphone. But when I read it, I learn it not _just_ a microphone.

It's an entire audio recording set. From Tom Hiddleston.

I smile as I run my hands over the smooth sides of the box. I stare at it. I have dreamed of this for so long. It's finally in my possession. Tears begin to roll down my cheeks/ my hands begin to tremble against my knees. My lower lip quivers, unsure of what sound I'm going to make next. My chest tightens with a feeling that overwhelms me completely.

Suddenly, I fling the box across my bed. It hits the pillow rather than the wall, but I wished it had slammed against the plaster and destroyed whatever there was inside. I clasp my hands together tightly, keeping myself from destroying anything else. I rock back and forth in panic, anxiety taking over my heart and nerves. Finally, pressure behind pushes the tears out of my eyes. They pour down my face as I sob with this pain. Waves of sadness and anger wash over me, creating more and more tears. I look around at the gifts, then I closed my eyes tightly with the hope that they will disappear somehow. My thoughts end up coming screams. _Stop trying to buy me! Stop it, please! I don't want expensive gifts! I don't want expensive gifts! I don't want laptops and cellphones, music players and headsets, iPads and cameras! I don't need those! Take it back! All of it! Take it back!_ I cry painfully, loudly, endlessly. I remember when Tom gave me the laptop. Then the iPhone. Then the speakers. Then the boots. Then the clothes. Now the recording set. I think of Nikon. The iPad. The fancy clothes. _Why is everyone buying for me? Why the gifts? What is the point for all of this? They hurt me, they break me, and then they try to patch me up with gifts? Why? What makes them think money will make me feel better? I don't want money. I don't want to be spoiled and pampered. I don't want so many nice things at once. One by one. Maybe. That's nice. But to pour them onto me that way… I don't want any of these. They hurt. It hurts. Tom is trying to keep me by giving me gifts fit for a queen. My Abeoji's trying to make me happy by showering me with gifts fit for a queen. No. I won't have it. They… they need to earn it._

I gather all the gifts and carry them to the corner of my bedroom. I stack them, one on top of the other, until they're all just in that one corner. There they will remain, where they will gather cobwebs and strange little insects. I will use them one day, but not anytime soon. Not while I'm still hurting, and everyone is trying to buy a heart or a smile out of me.

I pick up a book and return to the comfort of my bed, I look at the cover. "The Hobbit." I say out loud. I study the cover. I let out a heavy, shaky sigh. _"Naleul yeogiseo delyeoga **{Take me away from here.}** " _I open it and begin reading, no intention of getting out of bed today.

~o~

My laptop begins to make a ringing sound. That's when I realize it's been on last night. I set the book down and reach for it. I pull it onto my lap, making sure the charger doesn't unplug or tangled. I look at the screen; it's a FaceTime request from Tom. I click "Answer" and wait for our screen to come on and appear side-by-side.

Finally, his face pops up on the other screen. It takes him a second to see me, then he smiles.

I smiled back. "Hey, Tom."

"Hello, darling." He replies. His window is in the background of his screen. It's dark outside over there, like its nighttime.

"What time is it over there?" I ask him.

"Nine-fifteen. I just finished getting for bed."

I nod. "Oh." I remain quiet after that. There's nothing for me to say now. I'm still upset about the presents.

He lowers his eyebrows in concern. "What's wrong? You look upset."

I shrug. "Maybe because I am."

"Why? Did something happen? Nothing's broken, right?"

I shake my head no. "It's nothing. I just… I have been thinking. That's all." I really should tell him how I have a problem with the gifts. I already told myself that I would tell him they're too much. I can't keep on accepting them.

"What's on your mind? I can probably help you out."

I take a deep breath. _Tell him now. I can't keep these presents. I don't need them. They feel like you're trying to buy my move, when you already have. A thing of flowers or something once in a while is fine. That's all I need._ The words are in my throat and ready to be spoken, but as soon as I'm ready to say them, I can't quite seem to even open my mouth. My thoughts, as always, stop me. _I'm always complaining about not having anything. I'm always talking about what I want and how much I want them. Now that I finally have them, after how much they've spent on them, I'm going to complain? That's wrong. I should just accept them and not complain. Plus, it makes my abeoji happy to give me gifts. He's made that very clear… no. I can't say anything. It makes them happy to see me have these things. I shouldn't complain. It might make them feel bad._ "I… I wish there was some way I can study in England or something. I don't like it here. It's so dull, and the students are all idiots. It might be the same over there, I don't know. But at least I'd be close to you so I would never be bored."

"Speaking of which, I have a little surprise for you. Your summer vacation is coming up in June, right?"

"Yeah. End of June. Why?"

He smiles, eager to tell me. "I don't know if you'd like it, but I reserved a first class for you to fly over here for the summer. That is, if your parents agree to it."

My expression switches to excitement in a heartbeat. _"Mwo?! **{What?}** "_ The corners of my smile reach for my ears. "You're kidding me!"

"Nope. I spoke to a friend of mine. He owns the American Airlines, and he said if I pay him myself, all you have to do is give your name, and you are on the plane without a problem."

Inside, I'm freaking out like crazy. I can't believe what I'm hearing. I might see Tom this summer! " _Eom-ma-ya! **{Oh my god!}**_ You are the best! I can't believe this!"

"I miss you too much, love. I need to see you in person. This is just not enough for me."

My happiness brings tears to the rims of my eyes. "Same here. Concentrating in school has never been so hard for me since you left. I have no doubt my parents will say yes.

"Unfortunately I do. But I'm sure you can handle it well. You have some good persuasion skills."

I smirked. "It's all about finding the weakness."

He laughs, and I giggle. We spend the rest of his night talking about London.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Jake T. Austin** as Michael De Soto

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

* **Robert Downey, Jr.** as Himself

* **Gwyneth Paltrow** as Herself

* * *

 **Chapter VII: The Thought Didn't Even Occur To Me.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

I thank the city bus driver and get off at my stop. I pat my pocket to make sure I didn't leave anything. Then, as the city bus roars and passes, I walk across the street to the movie theatre where Iron Man 3 awaits me. _Jebal, gijeog-eulo Robert Downey, Jr. ga geogieissgehasibsio. gaemag il-iya. **{Please, by some miracle, let Robert Downey, Jr. be there. It's opening day.}** Jebal ...I bimil sowon-iissneun yuilhan salam-ibnikka? **{Please… Am I the only one with this secret wish?}**_ I check the time on my phone. Ten minutes before the movie starts. Perfect. I jog to the entrance of the theatre and reach for the door. Instead of the door, I accidentally grab someone's hand instead. I retract quickly, instantly blushing. "Sorry, I-"

When I look up, the brown-eyed, black-haired Michael kid is smiling at me, seeming to be happy to see me. "Hello, again." He says.

I smile again. This town is too damn _small_. "Hey. We meet again."

He nods his head. "Yeah, I'm just here to see a movie."

I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's usually what you do at a movie theatre."

He blushes and laughs nervously. "Yeah. Obviously." He pulls the glass door and steps aside. "You first."

"Thanks." I walk past him and into the theatre. The cool air I was anticipating doesn't hit me, which is strange. This theatre is always cold, no matter what. Why not today? But when I look around, I estimate there's about a hundred people in this theatre, maybe more. I look around at a ton of patiently waiting citizens. Waiting for what? I'm not sure. But they all seem to have… pictures, and other merchandises from what I'm assuming to be the Iron Man franchise. "What's going on?"

"Didn't you hear? Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are here for the opening day of Iron Man 3."

 _Geuge eottaeyo? Gijeog-i jonjaehabnida. **{Well, how about that? Miracles exist.}**_

"It's the first time they've been in Stamford, I hear. I assume the news got around fast, considering it was only announced on twitter yesterday." Michael holds up a piece of white paper with a movie ticket printed on it. "I'm just here for the movie. What are you here to see?"

I pull out a folded piece of white paper and unfolded it to show him the movie ticket printed on it. "I'm just here for the movie."

He raises his eyebrows. "Same movie. Huh. I wouldn't have pegged you to be the Marvel movie type."

I scoff softly. "Are you kidding me? It's the freaking _best_. I would never pass up a Marvel movie premiere."

"I see. What's your favorite one?"

I take a moment to think about it. But then I realize that's useless. I know there's one movie out there that wins hands-down. "The Avengers. To see all of those great superheroes combined to battle one fantastic God of Mischief is absolutely _epic_."

"I agree. The graphics were amazing, and the fact that they made the Thor-Loki relationship not the center, but the clearest reason for the destruction of the city and attempt to take over Midgard is very creative."

I stare at him in disbelief. He just spoke my language (well, not my native language). Fluently, _unbelievably_ fluently. "Dude," I say, as serious as the moment allows. "Where were you, like, four years ago? I needed someone to seriously talk like that with me."

He laughs. "I was at my old home. If I had known you existed, I would've arrived earlier."

I shake my head and move through the crowd. I study a good number of them, determining which ones are here for the autograph and which ones are here to sell it later. Some faces I recognize from school, some faces recognize me from around town, and the rest are still complete strangers to me. It's as if I'm walking forever until I finally make it to the ticket lady. I try to ignore Michael, who's walking beside me. I was hoping to be alone at this movie.

"Hey!"

I thank the lady as she rips my ticket down the peripherated line and hands me my ticket. She tells me which theatre to go to, but there's really no point in doing so. The words "IRON MAN 3 – 3D" are in a big red letters on the first theatre sign on the right.

 _"Hello. Athena."_

I'm putting my half of the ticket away when I suddenly hear the sound of my name. That voice… it can't be. I know that voice all too well, that very _famous_ voice. I hold my breath, hoping my mind is merely playing tricks on me. _Naneun igeos-eul daebihaji moshaessda. Naneun igeos-eul wonhaji anhneunda. jebal chaggaghagehasibsio. **{I'm not prepared for this. I don't want this. Please let me be mistaken.}**_ I slowly turn around, speedily preparing myself for who might be calling my attention.

Robert Downey Jr. is walking in my direction, Gwyneth Paltrow following behind him. I look at Michael as if he will give me some sort of explanation.

He looks at me, just as confused as I am. He points at me, then Robert Downey Jr. then back at me. "How do you know Robert Downey, Jr.?"

I nod my head very slowly and subtly. "I don't."

More confusion. "How does he know your name?"

"I haven't had the slightest idea?"

There's a tap on my shoulder, and someone clears their throat for my attention. "I know you're Athena and I also know your other name is _Myung-hee._ Don't think about trying to deny it."

I slowly turned my head to face… Robert… Downey… Jr. "The thought didn't even occur to me." I shut my mouth, trying to put things together here. I open it to say something else, but I am not sure what words would want to come out of my mouth. I scratch my head with my index finger for a clue. I guess I should start with the obvious question. "I'm sorry. How do you know both of my names?" I ask him.

"Tom." He says so calmly, as if I should know who's talking about (which I most definitely do).

I try my best to keep myself calm, forcing back to the string of questions that want to come pouring out. "Tom. I hope we're thinking about the same Tom here."

"I know we're talking about the same Tom." He shrugs. "Unless you know another Tom Hiddleston."

I close my eyes and let out a quiet, heavy sigh. I wait for Michael to say something on the subject.

"You know Tom Hiddleston too? Man, you've got connections."

I shrug and nod my head nervously. "For a brief time. I helped him out around town. We bumped into each other a few times."

"That's not the story I've heard."

I glare at him, at Robert Downey, _freaking_ Jr., who clearly must be trying to ruin my life here. I then look at Michael as normally as possible. "You can go on to the theatre. I don't want you to be late to the movie. I think I will be out here for a while."

When I look back at Robert, his smiling kindly at Michael, like innocent (ha!) child.

Michael just shrugs. "Alright. I'll meet you there." He stretches his hand out for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Downey, sir. By the way, _extremely_ huge fan. You as Iron Man: the best choice ever made."

"Thank you, man. I appreciate that. I promise I won't hold her here for long."

Once Michael is gone, I turn back to Robert. "Okay, how do you know, and why are you trying to ruin my quiet life?"

"I'm sorry for that. I was just messing around. I knew he wouldn't be able to figure it out. Who else is going to expect," he quiets his voice so no one will hear, "Tom Hiddleston's girlfriend who is a teenage girl, still in high school?" He raises his eyebrows at me. "Not to mention, a very cute one. I didn't know Tom was fond of _Dolls_. Are you sure you're not a real life human doll? Cuz if you are, he sure does know how to pick one."

I roll my eyes and ignore his compliment about me being cute and a doll. "So what did you want to tell me? I'm weird? He's crazy for dating me? We're both out of our minds? He could do better?"

He thinks about that. "None of that, actually. What I wanted to say was much more positive than that. I actually wanted to thank you."

His words surprise me a bit. I stare at him, unsure how to respond. My lack of words makes for a very awkward silence.

"Tom was looking a little depressed after Susannah left." Gwenyth Paltrow jumps in. "He just couldn't find anyone else, and he was falling apart behind the camera. He was on the edge of giving up, and he was going to hide out here in Stamford. Then we hear that he met someone and the things he said about her—well, _you_. It surprised us all, really. We didn't think he would be describing someone _better_ than Susannah."

"You saved my friend… sort of. I guess that makes you my friend, as well." Robert smiled.

I nod. "Okay. Your welcome, I guess." I didn't have anything else to say, but I can't stop thinking about how much their message meant to me. I couldn't have saved Tom. He seemed together, so okay. I never would have thought he, of all people, was having problems on finding a new girlfriend. So how did I come to be the _one_ for him?

"Yeah, I see this is getting awkward for you. I understand. That's it for now… you want an autograph or something?"

I look down at my shirt. It's an Iron Man 'chibi' shirt written underneath _billionaire_ , of course. Luckily, since it was an iron-on (no pun intended), the shirt is stark-white (pun totally intended) "My shirt, if you please." _Nae singyeong-i ttam-eul heulliji anh-eumyeon. **{If my nervousness isn't sweating through it.}**_

"Sure thing." He takes a black Sharpie from Gwyneth and pulls off the cap. "What's your name again? No, I'm kidding, don't answer that." He turns me sideways and scribbles his signature with speed right down the shoulder. It's takes a little longer than it should, I notice, because his name doesn't take long to write. "Alright, there you go." He hands the pen to Gwyneth, who scribbles her name on other shoulder.

As she was writing, I decided to continue this conversation just a little while longer. "You didn't tell me how you found out."

He smiles. "You remember when he called you, and your overly-excited friend got to have a conversation with him?"

I nod my head yes.

"Yeah, well, he forgot I was in the bathroom because my phone call took too long. I came out, saw your face and name on his phone while he was calling you, and I heard the entire thing. I guess you could say he was found in the same situation as you were with your little friend."

"Can you stop referring to us as children? We're teens, not toddlers."

"Yeah, no. Not happening. But I do want give you a name, though." He looks me up and down, deciding on a stupid nickname for me. It takes him a couple of minutes, but he finally has one. "Little Myu-Myu."

"You're not the first person who called me by that name. But again with the little."

"Does it annoy you?"

"Yes."

"That's exactly why I put in there."

"Gwyneth lightly smacks him in the back of his head. "You're being so mean to her. Let's go."

"Alright. It was nice to meet you." He says. He nods his head goodbye and departs.

I take a moment to think about what just happened. _Robert Downey, Jr. neun algo issseubnida. Marilyn neun algo issseubnida. Gwyneth Paltrow neun algo issseubnida. **{Robert Downey, Jr. knows. Marilyn knows. Gwyneth Paltrow knows.}**_

 _Tabeulloideuneun jal algo issseubnida. Robert Downey, Jr. ije jeoleul chingulo saeng-gaghabnida ... **{The tabloids sort-of knows. Robert Downey, Jr. now considers me as a friend…}** geulsse, aieon maen jasingwaui isangjeog-in cheos mannam-i anibnida. **{well, not my ideal first meeting with the Iron Man himself.}**_

I check the time on my phone. "Two minutes." I turn around and jog to the theatre. I hurry in and look around for Michael. The lights have been dimmed as the trailers for the upcoming movies play on the giant screen in the front.

"Over here!" Someone whispers loudly.

I squint my eyes, and find Michael sitting all the way in the back, waving for my attention. I hurry to the back row and slide into a seat right in the center so I can see the movie perfectly. "I'm sorry if I took too long."

"No worries. What was he talking to you about, anyway?"

I shrug, choosing the right words. "Old friends, old arrangements. Nothing important."

"Ah. Well, you just missed the trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness. It looks pretty epic to me, and Benedict Cumberbatch plays the villain… I hope you know who I'm talking about. Do you watch BBC?"

"Of course. It's better than American television. That's for sure."

"Name your favorite show."

"How about you tell it first. Let me know something about you."

"Fine. We'll say it together." He counts silently to three on his fingers.

Once the three are up, we both whisper our favorite show simultaneously. "Doctor Who." We both say. We both look at each other in shock.

"You have good tastes." He says to me.

"You do too." I reply.

When we look back at the screen, the light is darkening. The trailers come to an end. And the movie finally begins.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Jake T. Austin** as Michael De Soto

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

 _ *****_ **Woo Hee-Jin** as Park Eun-hye {Myung-hee's mother}

* **Grace Randolph {Beyond the Trailer Youtuber}** as the reporter on Youtube

* * *

 **Chapter VIII: Because You Don't Trust Me.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

"That movie was amazing." Michael says as we exit the cold theatre. "A hundred thumbs up."

"I agree." I say, tossing my trash into the garbage and sweeping my hands of salt and butter. "I especially love how Pepper looked when she-" My phone begins to ring in my pocket. I pull it out of my back pocket and check the caller. I sigh in annoyance when I see my eomeoni's face on there. "It's my mom. Hold on." I answer the phone call. _"Annyeonghaseyo? **{Hello?}** "_

 _"Annyeonghaseyo yeon-in. Yonghwa eottaess-eo? **{Hello, sweetheart. How was the movie?}** "_

 _"Dangsin-eun siljelo sigan-eul chujeoghago iss-eossseubnikka? **{You were actually keeping in track of the time?}** " _I say.

 _"Ye. Naneun neoleul eotteohge yeonghwaga kkeutnan hu jigeum boneunji jeonhwahagileul wonhaessda. **{Yes. I wanted to call to see how you're doing right now after the movie.}** Eojjaessdeun, abeojineun uliga nu-iui jib-eseo jeonyeog sigsaleulhagileul wonhae. geulsse, patiga deo manh-a iljelo. **{Anyway, you father wants us to a dinner at his sister's house. Well, it's more of a party, actually.}** Nega jib-e dol-awaseo junbi hal su-issge haejwo. **{I need you to come home so you can get ready.}** "_

I make a disgusted face. I stop right outside the door, staying in the shade that guards me from the sunlight. _"Geulaedo gago sipji anh-a. naneun geudeuljocha moleunda. **{I don't want to go, though. I don't even know them.}** "_

 _"Igeos-eun dangsin-i geudeul-eul al su-issneun wanbyeoghan sigan-ibnida. **{This is the perfect time for you to get to know them.}** Gedaga, dangsin-eun seontaeg-ui yeojiga eobs-eo. Naega nega dwie meomulgehandamyeon naega neoleul tteonal gos-i eobs-eo. **{Besides, you don't have a choice. If I were to let you stay behind, I would have nowhere to leave you.}** "_

 _"Na tteonayo? Naneun yeol yeoseos seibnida. nega naleul jib-edugo gal su issdago saeng-gaghae. **{Leave me? I'm sixteen. I think you can leave me home.}** "_

 _"Geugeolhago sipjiman ... Neoe daehaeseo neomu geogjeonghalgeoya. **{I would like to do that, but… I would worry about you too much.}** Geuligo nega gajog-eul wonhandago saeng-gaghae. Geudeul-eun jaemi issgo, joh-eun eum-ag-eul teulmyeo, daehwaleul joh-ahabnida. **{And I think you would like your family. They're fun, they play good music, and they love having conversation.}** "_

 _"Naneunhaji anhneunda. Geuligo naneun eum-ag-eulo dangsin-i uimihaneun geos-imyeon noindeul-ui eum-ag-eul joh-ahaji anhseubnida. **{I don't. And I don't like old people's music, if that's what you mean by music.}** Jib-edugo gala. Nan gwaenchanh-eulgeoya. Naneun jeonyeog sigsaleul wihae eumsig-ina mueongaleul jumunhal geos-ida. Jeonbuda gwaenchanh-a. **{Just leave me at home. I'll be fine. I'll order some food or something for dinner. It's all good.}** "_

 _"Ani-yo. **{No.}** "_

 _"Geuligo wae andwae? Wae naega jib-e meomulgehaji anh-eulgeoya? **{And why not? Why won't you let me stay home?}** "_

 _"Ttaemun-e… **{Because…}** " _Her voice trails off, and I know exactly what she wants to say.

 _"Neoneun naleul midji anhgi ttaemun-e. **{Because you don't trust me.}** "_ I finish her sentence for her, sharp and cold. No matter. I stay on the phone and wait for her to deny that she doesn't trust me enough to leave me alone. It's three minutes of silence from her, and I decided to continue but this time I would say it in English to just mock her harshly.

"So… You'll let me go out in public, where I can leave and _never_ return. But you won't let me stay home alone because you're afraid I will hurt you and everyone by leaving again. Because I'm a heartless person, am I right?! Is that it?!"

She remains in silent.

 _"Dangsin-e daehan mid-eum bujog-e gamsadeulibnida. Jeongmal gamsa. **{Thank you for your lack in faith in me. I really appreciate it.}** "_ I hang up the phone and slide it into my pocket, my face heated in anger. I started walking ahead, desperate to burn off this feeling and relax once again.

"That sounded pretty harsh." Michael says, catching up to me. "What did you mean by 'leaving again'?"

"I was a runaway kid before."

 _"What?"_ He says, shocked by my bit of news.

"Run-A-Way. I ran away from home about nine years ago. I have been living on the streets and in abandoned apartments in several different states, including California."

"California? Are you serious?"

"No, but I find it amusing that you believed me." I grin, holding back a giggle. "I came back a few months ago to start over after some inspiration from… a person very dear to me. I was on the news and everything. I honestly found it so annoying. I still don't understand why parents insisted on making such a big deal out of it. Anyway, to sum it up. I was gone for a long time, and now I'm back."

"Holy crap." He says. "How did you manage to live on your own for that long? Did you live with someone or something?"

"See, I have the highest IQ in the city, so I can take in tons of information at a time. Before I left, I was obviously planning to do so. I spent a week around at the library, filling my little seven-year-old head with ideas on how to make it out there. It definitely work, because." I turn a quick three-sixty degrees for him as I'm walking. "Here I am, in the flesh. Athena _'Myung-hee'_ Park survived on her own. Why the world needs to know, I don't know. But there you go."

"At least the _entire_ world doesn't know. I never even heard of that story until now. I mean, I'm sure it's been mentioned, but never made into a conversation." He looks around us, at stores and restaurant, as if he's looking for something. "Let's get something to eat. Garden Catering, or something. That sound good?"

"Oh, I _love_ Garden Catering." I smile at his offer, but it disappears quickly. "Unfortunately, I'm broke right now. I only brought enough money for the theatre."

"I'll pay for it." He offers.

"No, it's fine. You don't have to."

"Seriously. I insist. It's just food."

 _Yeah, to you. It's just food._ "Alright. Why not?"

He smiles, clearly pleased that I said yes. "Alright. Well, you lead the way. I know there's a Garden Catering here, but I don't exactly know where. We're headed in the right direction, right?"

"Yeah. Just follow me."

A couple of minutes later, we are at the entrance of Garden Catering. I hold the door open for Michael, then I follow behind him. We head to the counter to place our orders. "You can go and sit down, if you want." He says. "I'll order the food for us. Unless you didn't want to eat here."

"No, here is fine. Get me a junior with cones."

"Same as me. Nice." He smiles and looks at the employee, who is ready to take our order with her pen and pad. He tells her the order, and she scribbles them down. When she confirms it and walks away, he glances at me. "Can you grab me a Sprite?" he asks.

"Same as me. Nice," I reply, mimicking him. I turn and walk to the fridges. I open one up and take out two ice-cold cans of Sprite. I choose the table right next to one of the fridges and sit down, setting them in front of me. I sit there and stare at the window, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for him to join me at the table.

Finally, he sits down across from me, folding his hands on the table in front of him. "So, how's your day been?" he asks me.

I shrug. "Nothing special. Except for the fact that I met Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. But then even that wasn't as awesome as I thought realize he was as much of a shit as Tony Stark. But other than that, it was average."

"Yeah, same here. The average part, not the Robert Downey, Jr. part. Woke up, got dressed, and wished my life was better than this, then went to the movies.

"Hm."

I don't remember how we got into it, but the rest of our waiting time, we talked about comics, Marvel movies, etc. we cover a bunch of subjects like Iron Man, Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, etc. I avoid Thor as much as possible. I 'm starting to miss Tom even more, and I don't feel like becoming depressed right now. After a while, Michael gets the food and brings it to our table. I take the few seconds of silence I have to realize: Michael and I are so alike? How is that even possible? We have so much in common, it's not even funny anymore. It's actually… kind of _nice_. I want to talk to him for hours, because, beside Marilyn, I really have no one to talk to like this.

"You know what I noticed?" He says as he rips his bag open.

"What?" I say, already starting at the cones.

"Your eyes." He says.

I look up at him, and he's staring into my eyes with a sort of light I know all too well. I can't quite look away. Something's holding me there, and I don't know why. "What about my eyes?" I ask him, sounding as natural as possible even though I'm sort of out of it.

"They're so beautiful. All dark brown eyes look the same, but yours… I love to look at yours."

I blush at his compliment. Why am I blushing? I nervously tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Thank you." I say shyly.

"Beautiful, just like the rest of you."

Immediately, I look down at my food, my blush deepening. I wipe the smile away. I don't reply to that compliment. That _lie_. I just shove another piece of food into my mouth.

"Did I say something mean?" He says, trying to make eye contact again.

I nod my head. "No. its fine." I didn't even look up at him. I continue to stuff my face, keeping from saying _OH YES YOU DID, YOU LIAR._

My phone buzzes once in my pocket, indicating that it was a text from someone. I take it out and open the message; it's a link from Marilyn that reads: _^^You need to see this!^^_

"YouTube?" I mumbled to myself. I click it and open it in a browser. I want for the video to load up, then remain silent to hear what is playing on the screen.

 _"Tom Hiddleston, our ironically-beloved Loki, has been taking head quite a few headlines this week. Why? What about him has been holding the cameras' attention? It could have something to do with a certain 'mystery girl' that's been seen hand-in-hand with him in his photos. In fact, it does. 'Hiddles', as most of his fans refer to him, has been spotted numerous times in the city of Stamford, Connecticut. All the way on the East Coast. Why was he there? No one knows, really, but he seemed to have a hit off with a very lucky woman."_

I raise an eyebrow as a picture of Tom and I dancing in the park comes onto the screen. It does really surprise me, however. I knew that was going to happen, and I also happen to know the park wasn't bright enough to show my face.

 _"Here he is dancing in the park with her. What a romantic scene! Sweet music in Columbus Park on what looks like a pretty chilly night. He's holding her much too close for her to be 'just a friend'. If you ask me. Doesn't matter, because this much of a sweetheart he really can be. This night had to have gained him points, because here he is again with the same girl walking into a Remo's restaurant not too long after that."_

I have to admit. I'm a little surprised at the next photo that pops up. I don't remember seeing _any_ cameras that day. I just went in, told what I needed to tell him. And left. At least, I _think_ that's what happened. Or maybe it's a picture of when I was moving out of the Remo's bathroom. Oh, I don't even remember.

 _"They are absolutely adorable together. It's a shame no one got a shot of her face, really. I'm sure she was beautiful."_

"What are you doing?" Michael asks, already finished with his small meal.

I hit the pause button. "Just watching a video real quick. I'm sorry, but the sender said it's urgent. It's almost done." I return to the video and press play.

 _"I just have a question for Tom, if he's watching. Why would find love in such a far away town when you knew you had to come back eventually? That's just a little bit messed up, isn't it? Okay, back to you guys."_

I roll my eyes when she giggles after her question, as if it's some sort of a joke. I wonder if she even took a second to realize that he might just be getting over the guilt of doing just that.

 _"Something tells me that woman wasn't as important as it seemed in those pictures."_

 _Excuse me?!_ My eyes widen when a picture of Tom and Susannah together in a music store. It shouldn't be a problem since there have been plenty of pictures of those two together. They only problem with this one is how _new_ it is.

 _"You remember these two lovebirds, don't you? Tom Hiddleston was spotted with an old flame, English actress Susannah Fielding, in a guitar shop in Surrey. Seeing the smiles on their faces, we don't need a source to tell what's clear to see: they must have been flirting up in there. And look at her cheeks! She's blushing! Could Hiddleston and Fielding possibly get back together? Are they ready get back together? Are they ready to start it up again? Also, who was that mystery woman, and is she still in his life?"_

That last sentence ends on a picture of Tom and I in the hallway by the auditorium in my high school. After a few more seconds, it fades out, and the little "Replay" sign appears in middle of the screen.

I close out the YouTube and set my phone on the table. The picture of Tom and Susannah is burned in my mind, along with the blonde lady's question: _Could Hiddleston and Fielding possibly get back together?_ I mean, I don't know, bitch. You tell me.

"That looked a little like you." Michael says.

I stay staring at my phone, wondering how they got so many pictures of us. "What looked like me?"

"The woman they were talking about. I could see the pictures from here. The hair kind of like yours; your hair color's the same, your skin color, even your height."

He can't put this together. It's not possible. I just shrug. "Maybe she does look like me. But hey. It could be a coincidence. Things happen." I stuff another cone into my mouth. I can feel his eyes on me, turn my porcelain white skin blush red. But my mind wanders back to the picture. Tom wouldn't do that to me. I know he wouldn't. He loves me. He cares about me. He did everything in his power to make sure I'm safe and able to trust him. And I do. _Now_ I do. I love him. I trust him. I love him. I trust him. I trust him enough that I know he wouldn't cheat on me. He's kept every promise he's made to me since we've met. He won't ever let me down after how faithful he's been to me.

Finally, what I have reassured myself that everything will be okay. I start another conversation with Michael, taking my busy mind off of Susannah before I get a bad headache.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

 ***Susannah Fieldings** as Herself

* * *

 **Chapter IX: I am not Susannah.**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

 _I check my teeth in the mirror to make sure I got everything. It seems I did, so I finish brushing whatever might not have been covered and rinse off everything. I check my teeth my now-white teeth. I set the brush down on the edge of the sink and walk out of the bathroom, not even bothering to turn off the lights._

 _I walk out into the hallway and squint into the dark. It has to be in the middle of the night; its pitch black in here with only a steam of white moonlight shining in through the window. I decided to risk it and head for the stairs when I hear someone running up the steps. I freeze where I am, heart pounding in my chest. I search the space around me, looking for a hint that someone is up here with me._

 _Suddenly, I'm slammed against the cold wall, arms pinned above my head by a hand with long, strong, slender fingers. In a split second, a pair of lips are on mind, forcing my own open and closed. The front of his body pressed against mine, and they breathe heavily as their… his, now that I feel a certain body part, crotch rubs and grinds against the inside of my thigh. I can feel my heart in my throat. I'm not even fighting him; it's as if I… know him._

 _A warm, wet tongue slips into my mouth effortlessly and glides and moves with my own. I moan into the kiss, enjoying every feeling and taste that I get. When he pulls away to catch a breath, I whisper a name._

 _"Tom."_

 _"Mm," he says, ghosting his over my swollen, wanting lips. "I love it when you say my name. Say it again."_

 _I feel myself blush slightly, biting my lower lip. "Tom." I say, but there's now something different about my voice. It's a lot smoother, more mature than mine, and… is that an accent?"_

 _"Nnh. You're killing me, Susannah."_

 _Excuse me?! I think. I look down at my body. The hair that flows over my shoulder and down to my chest is black and luscious. My waist is more of an hour glass shape, and my arms are a bit thinner than usual. And my skin is slightly lighter than mine. I'm… I'm…_

 _"Susannah?" Tom asks me concerned. "Are you alright?"_

 _I nod my head and let out a short breath. "Yes. I'm fine."_

 _He proceeds to lift my dress (that I didn't even know I was wearing) up to my waist and knead the thickness that is my hips. He trails down the hollow of my neck and bits down on the skin._

 _I gasp at the sensation and closed my eyes._

 _"Susannah." He whispers._

 _Just then, I feel his fingers press against my center, and…_

I wake up with a jolt, my chest heaving with the intensity of my dream. I stare at my ceiling, pulling the rest of my back into back. Tom saying Susannah's name rings in my ears. I take a deep, slow breaths, calming myself down. I brush my hair bangs with my palm then placed to my forehead, then pull it away to look at it. It's covered in sweat, and I wipe it on the bed next to me.

I stand up and walk out of my bedroom to the bathroom. I turn on the light and lean over the sink. I turn the faucet and run the water until its cold. I splash it onto my face, washing off the salty sweat and cooling the skin underneath. My cheeks are burning, so I hold a handful of water to my cheeks, hoping to cool them down.

I move up more and study the image I find staring back at me. I'm back to being an Asian girl. The hair is not black. The face is still oval-shaped, soft and supple. My skin is still porcelain. My waist is still straight like an adolescent. I am still Athena. I am still Myung-hee. I'm still the girl Tom wasn't being happy with in my dream. I'm still the girl that can't move to England with Tom. I'm still the girl no one knows and no one can see with Tom. I am not Susannah. I can't please Tom completely. Tom will never moan my name. After seeing Susannah, he won't be ever to take the next step with me, no matter how old I am. I will never be as good as Susannah Fielding.

Standing up straight to take once last look at myself, I collapse to the cold tile floor. My eyes squeeze shut, tears spilling out of them and pouring down my cheeks. I sob silently, dragging my nails down my skin, which now feels claustrophobic-tight. A loud, piercing scream builds up in my throat, but I can't let it out. I can't wake my parents. It will start a whole lot of hell for me. My thoughts scramble and circle around the one thought tearing me apart: I'm not Susannah.

I'm not Susannah.

 _Ani-yo… **{No…}**_ More important: Tom's better off with Susannah.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

 ***Brenna D'Amico** as Marilyn Rivera

* * *

 **Chapter X: It Was Sort of A Bad Dream.**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

I sit quietly in my room, cross-legged on my bed and cellphone up to my ear. I wait patiently as the line rings, connecting me to the only person I can think of talking to right now. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, asking myself if this is a good idea over and over again.

"Hello?" Marilyn's weak, raspy and tired voice comes onto the line.

I take a moment before going through with this stupid idea. "Hey." I say kindly.

"Hey, Thena… you do know its three-o-seven in the morning, right?"

"Yeah. I checked the time before I called. But I have no one else to talk to, so."

She yawns away from the phone (I can tell because it's quieter than it's supposed to be). "Give me a second."

I wait as the rustle of blankets and pillow being moved around occur in the background. I bite at the side of my finger, the skin right at the side of the nail. I was never one for biting my nail directly. I just found it uncomfortable.

Finally, she comes back on. "Okay. What's the problem?"

Another deep sigh. "I… Tom… We…" I don't know how to start it off. I quickly scan my mind for the right words to explain, but nothing can explain what in the world is happening to my mentality (as if it wasn't smacked up already). "I, um… I may have…"

"Okay." Marilyn says, stopping me. "Step by step. It's obviously about you and Tom. Am I right?"

My idiot self nods. Then I remember this is a phone call. "Yeah." I answer. "It was… it was sort of a bad dream."

"A bad dream about you and Tom?"

"Mhm." I mumble as I chew off more of my finger. "I mean. Sort of. It was Tom and me, well, were sort of making out, but I wasn't exactly… I wasn't exactly _me_."

"Who were you, then?"

I hesistate to answer. How could I answer that after she was the one who sent me the video?" I was… Susannah."

A moment of silence. I can't even hear a breath on the other side of the call. Then, a small exhale. "Oh my God. I get it now."

A curious look slips into my facial expression. "What do you get?"

"You imagined Tom would want someone else."

I close my eyes. My chest tightens with the pain of the statement. I mean, it's true, isn't it? I know he will leave me for his ex."

"And it's all my fault."

 _Eh?!_ My eyes widen. "Hold on, wait, _what_?"

"It's my fault. I sent you the link to that video. I made you listen to the report. Now I screwed you up. Oh my God."

"No! No! Oh my God, no that was not my intention. It's not your fault. I swear."

"How else would you have had the idea burned into your mind than that woman talking about rumors of Tom getting back together with Susannah? Who else provided you with that information? No one. That's who. No one but me."

"Marilyn, stop. This is not why I called you. It's not your fault. I swear on everything I own that it's not your fault. And you didn't force me to watch the video. I could have easily ignored it and continued talking to Michael."

"Okay, then why—wait, who's Michael?" I avoid that question quickly, a very useful reflex I'm thankful for having that. "Completely irrelevant. The fact remains I could have ignored the question."

"Mhm. Anyway, why did you call me, then?"

I rub my hand over my face. They're still a little bit of sweat on my cheeks. Or tears. Could be both. "I think I may be having an emotional breakdown."

"Why? It was just a dream. It's not like it actually happened."

"Yeah, but what if it does? You saw how happy Tom looked in those pictures. I don't think I have _ever_ seen him that happy with me. Susannah brought out a smile I have never seen Tom make."

"So what? You guys are just starting out. He has a history with Susannah, and there's probably even a friendship still there. You and Tom still have a bunch of time ahead of you to make history."

"Yeah, and what if that doesn't last long? What if he gets tired of me? I'm under-age." I felt myself blush between my cheeks. "I can't… you know…"

"What? Pleasure him? Sleep with him?"

I can feel my cheeks starting to get redder at the question Marilyn mentioned as I made a deep sigh. "Maybe. Sort of. And I can't go with him alone to a restaurant without the tabloids tagging it as a freaking statutory rape or something."

"He takes you on a date, and they take it as a statutory rape? Really?"

"You know what? It was an example." I roll my eyes. "Anyway, he's an actor. Surrounded by beautiful actresses. I'm afraid he will leave me for one of them. Maybe not for Susannah, but someone just as pretty, maybe even prettier. Like Taylor Swift. I don't know. He's going to find someone else. They all do. And I will be nothing but 'a fling from Stamford'."

"Okay, Thena, fling is usually referring to sex and no commitment. And-"

"Stop correcting me, Marilyn! This is not the freaking time."

" _And_." She continues, "for someone who claims to love him so much, you sure do have a little faith in him. I mean, you haven't even caught _him_ cheating. And there for sure as hell haven't been any hints being dropped of a cheating Tom Hiddleston. And a photo of him laughing with his ex does _not_ count. If there's no proof of him being with Susannah—or any woman, for that matter—stop labeling him. I know he's called you every day since you said he left. I mean, I did assume it was a secret lover calling you before I knew it was him. And there always seem to be that one person you wouldn't tell me the name of whenever he texted you. If he doesn't love you, he really must be lonely during the day."

I let her words and advice sink in and latch onto my brain. She's right. She absolutely right. _"Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}** "_ I say, burying my face in my hand. "I'm that girlfriend. I'm silly. I'm such a silly girlfriend."

"No. you're not." She disagrees. "You're the young, never-been-in-love girlfriend."

"You know, it is _really_ weird to hear you calling me young. Especially considering the fact that you're only about a year older than me."

"But to him, you're…" she does the math on her end of the call with quiet whispers and finger tapping. "… sixteen years younger than him… I'm sorry, I have to say this. _Neither_ of you find that even the slightest bit of strange?"

I raise an eyebrow. She, of all people, is asking me this question. "Because you're the one to talk, right? You have known around the entire school for dating guys ten years older than you."

"Yeah, only ten. I make it practically a law for me never to exceed a ten-year limit."

I roll my eyes. "None of us find it weird. At least, that's what we agreed on what we started out. Besides, I would never, in an infinite amount of years, date a teenage boy."

"Why? They're cute. Single. Worthy of a nice cute girl like you."

"Yeah. Let me go ask Jared after he gets his seventh tattoo. Or Mario, after he's his baby mama who happens to be in her second year of college. Or maybe I will try Victor, after they find a cure for herpes."

"Alright. _Fine_. I see your point. But you don't have to consider guys only in our school. There's a military school in northern part of the state that has plenty of guys come down here for vacation. You can check them out if you want."

"Uh, how about no? I have a boyfriend. A perfectly _perfect_ boyfriend. You just encouraged me that he's more faithful than I gave him the credit for, and now you're telling me to be _un_ faithful by checking out other guys to see if any of them can replace Tom?"

"It doesn't hurt to try. I mean, it opens up an opportunity to have a real, less-complicated replacement."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, working hard to prevent a headache. "Good night, Marilyn. I think I am okay for now. Thank you for the advice."

She yawns loudly into the phone. "No problem. I'm glad I could help."

"Yeah. Sorry for waking you up."

"It's okay. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"If it's after twelve a.m, don't even _think_ about dialing my phone number."

I snort softly. " _Araso, **{Alright,}**_ fine. My bad. Later."

"Bye." She hangs up the call.

I'm left in the head-bursting silence of my room, not sure what to do now. I don't want to fall asleep again. What if the same thing happens again? What if it's worse: I'm not Susannah, and I'm watching them together from my own separate view? I can't do this. I just can't. I need to hear it from him. I need to hear it from his own voice, his own mind, and his own words.

I look at the time on my phone. Realizing what times it is, I decided I shouldn't call him now. He knows the time difference; he always know what time it is over here whenever I call him. He will want to know why I'm up so late. He will start asking me questions, and he will think something's wrong. I mean, something _is_ wrong. But I don't want him _thinking_ of it.

I toss my phone to the side and fall back, my head hitting my pillow. I stare at the ceiling, waiting for my thoughts to consume me so I don't have to sleep. But it's a constant battle. Every time a thought came up, it's left unfinished because I'm drifting off. _Why is it that every time I want to sleep, my mind runs swift? And now… now that I don't want to sleep, the thoughts… the thoughts don't come?_ I cover my mouth and let out a huge yawn. Finally, I just close my eyes, ask my brain not to give me a nightmare, and float off to cloud nine.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

 ***Emma Hiddleston** as Herself

* * *

 **Chapter XI: Someone Caught On Quickly.**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

I decided to take Tuesday today as my day off, because I just couldn't get myself to go to school. I was anxious and a bit of a broke down. I know its school and I really don't have a choice, but it doesn't count when I feel like I'm going to tie my noose in three seconds flat. So as a result, I'm home alone, setting up my recording equipment Tom had sent me. _Fix You_ by Coldplay silently on my laptop as I work.

I pick at a pancake I had made for myself. I'm addicted to them now, especially with well-cutted strawberries and the vanilla extract my eomma likes to add to them. I pushed the apple juice all the way to the other end of the table, not even risking to set it too close to the electronics. I'm constantly switching between directions and equipment, until finally, I get it done.

Suddenly, my phone begins to ring. I hit the "answer" button not even bothering to look and see who it is. " _Annyeonghaseyo? **{Hello?}** "_

"Hello, love." Tom says on the other end.

I sigh. In all of honesty, I really didn't want to talk to him today. I haven't been in my happiest moment since last Saturday, the night of my emotional breakdown. I told myself not to let it go get to my head, and I have done nothing but allow it to destroy me. "Hey, babe."

"Babe? Something wrong?"

"Why do you say that?" I say emotionlessly.

"You've never called me babe."

I put the phone call on speaker and rest my head on the table. I have been working on set this equipment up for a while. I think I deserve a little break. "There's a first for everything, I guess."

"I suppose."

I remain silent, thinking about what to say. I need to ask him about Susannah. He needs to change my mind about the whole subject because my mind is slowly creeping towards a silly, overprotective girlfriend. "Um…" I go over my starter in my head, how to approach the subject. "I was watching some celebrity news video yesterday."

"Really?" He sounds interested, as if he had no idea what possibly could have been in it. "What did you hear about?"

I shrug. "Nothing important, really. Who's engaged, who's pregnant, and who's starring in a new movie. But…" I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "There was _one_ story that really caught my attention."

"What was it?"

"Well, it was about a certain British actor seen with his ex-girlfriend at a store."

"Myung-hee, I merely ran into her by surprise."

I raise an eyebrow, a little bit impressed. "Someone caught on quickly."

"Because I know you're talking about me and Susannah. I don't think you would've phrased it that way if you weren't."

"Well… yes."

The conversation goes silent. I don't know what else to say. If I complain about it, I will sound ridiculous. If I let it be, he might really be cheating on me, and in the end. I will look like a fool. I feel like a fool, _now_."

"Well?" He says, probably waiting for me to say something about it.

Still, I have no idea what to do.

"Why did you bring it up, darling? Surely, you have something on your mind you have to get it out. Feel free to share."

I sit up and bury my face in my hands. I let out a heavy sigh. " _Ani-yo **{No}** …_ no. It's fine. I just wanted to um, make sure that was the case. I wasn't completely sure if it was Susannah in the picture. It looked like Marion Cotillard a little."

I know he doesn't believe me, because he remain silent for quite a few seconds. He doesn't try to dig into it anymore. He fills in the silence with a concerned sigh but doesn't let the problem go. "Please don't let it bother you. Nothing happened. Nothing _is_ happening. We just happened to run into each other, and we shared a few friendly laughs. Then she went her way, and I went mine. That's it."

I laugh at myself. How could I be such a drama queen about this? Why am I doubting him so much? I mean, it was one picture. And a few other stories I may or may not have come across, but none of them had any other photos but the one I already saw. This is stupid. I have blown this _way_ out of proportion. " _I Ileon, **{My God,}**_ what in God's name is wrong with me?" I say out loud.

He laughs softly. "Nothing is wrong with you. Just a bit of jealousy. That's all."

"Damn right, it's jealousy. At least she can go to visit you whenever she wants, have lunch with you whenever she wants, go to the movies whenever she wants-" _Myung-hee? Ib DAGCHYEO. Byeong sog-e neoh-eo duseyo. Saeng-gaghae naeda? **{Hey Myung-hee? SHUT UP. Keep it in the bottle. Remember?}** Bulpyeonghamyeon dul da deo dandanhaejil geos-ibnida. **{Complaining will only make this harder for the both of you.}**_

"She can, but she _won't._ I'm not going to give the paparazzi something to talk about. _Especially_ when I know the love of my life is _reading_ about it."

"Your mother's reading it?" I say jokingly.

"Very funny. You know what I mean. Anyway, I won't have it. The only way I'll be seen in the papers with a woman is if that woman is you. I love _you_."

" _Al-a... **{I know…}**_ I know. I don't know what has been going on with me lately. I have never experienced… _jealousy_ before."

"A lucky one. Jealousy is truly a bitch, if I do say so myself. But you've _really_ never felt jealous of anything before? Really?"

"No."

"What about when you were on the streets? You couldn't afford anything. You had to be jealous of people that could afford things you couldn't."

"Not really. I had a good business for a hell of a long time. Whenever I saw something I wanted, it was out of my price tag, I knew someday it would end up in my hands, whether I bought it or not."

"Is that so? You just _knew_ you were gonna get it."

"Yeah. I _wanted_ an iPhone. Now, I'm sorry, who am I speaking to?"

He's silent. I hear a barely audible laugh from his side, but it's not his. It's… feminine? "I see your point."

"Yeah, you really shouldn't try to prove your girlfriend wrong. Tom. Don't you learn?" the voice sets me on alert. I have never heard it before, and it's _definitely_ a woman's voice. Oh boy.

"Who is that?" I ask the second her sentence ends. I tense up as I wait for his answer.

"It's just Emma, love. Relax."

"Emma Watson? It's Emma Watson, isn't it?" _Geogi geugeos-eun ganda. Nae babo gat-eun yeoja chingu modeu. hananim-i dowajuseyo._ **_{There it goes. My silly girlfriend mode. God help me.}_**

Tom laughs loudly. It angers me that my extremely curiosity amuses him. What the hell did he hear in my voice that made the question funny? "Emma Hiddleston. It's my sister, Myung-hee." I can hear the smile in his voice.

I blush madly as I hear giggling from his sister in the phone. "Oh." I sit back in my chair and cover my face with my hands. The heat of my day mixed in with embarrassment is enough of a combination to create a new layer of sweat. I overreacted. Again. And it turned out to be his _freaking_ sister.

"I guess I should have mentioned she was here with me. She knows, by the way."

I roll my eyes. "What happened to keep this quiet? You're up by one point, now with Robert and now Emma."

"Actually, you have two points, as well. You've got Marilyn and that girl you were taunting when I picked you up from school one time.

I concentrate on that, trying to remember when that might have happened. Then I remember the crowd of people, and the two girls that were talking about Tom in class. That really spoiled, annoying girl that knows my real name as 'Myung-hee'. _Eom-ma-ya, **{Oh my god,}** _the look on her face when… ha! It's still priceless. "Oh _yeah_. Her. I remember that. She was obsessed with you. Her _and_ her friend."

"Aren't they all?" he says, annoyed.

Of course, knowing me, I _have_ to mess around with him and turn it around. "Wow, Tom." I say, that smile wide across my face. "That was the most self-centered thing I have ever heard you say."

"Wait, what?" He takes a second to think about. "You know that's not what I meant!"

I start giggling, _my_ turn to make him blush (if only I knew if he were blushing or not).

He joins in, his full-on happy laughter that will probably ring in my ears for the rest of the day.

After I have calmed down, I speak again. " _Araso. **{Alright.}**_ I should go. I need to get back to setting up the gift you sent me."

"Hold on a second. I want you to meet Emma… maybe I should do it on video chat. I'll call you back in a minute."

"Alright."

He hangs up, and I temporarily return to my work. Might as well make a few connections while I wait. Finally, my phone begins to ring with a request. I accept it and wait for him to show up on the screen.

His face pops up on the screen. "Hello again, love." He says with a smile.

My jaw drops at the image before me. _"Eom-ma-ya! **{Oh my god!}** "_ I say in shock.

"What?" he checks behind him as if I saw something weird in the background.

"Your hair." I move closer to really look at it. "What happened to it?"

"I may have trimmed it down just a bit. Nothing drastic."

"Trimmed? Trimmed is a couple of centimeters, maybe a little bit more. That's inches you're missing there, honey."

"Mm." he moans. " _Honey._ I think I like that name better."

"Do you?" I slightly tease him playfully, trying to be at least shy and a little bit sexy. But once I see my face on the little screen, I decided to never do that again in my life. "I love the haircut, though. It's cleaner and professional."

He gazes at me, his eyes telling me how much he really misses me. I send the story right back to him as I gaze into his eyes. _Naega cheoeum saeng-gaghan geosboda hwolssin jalhagoissda. **{I'm doing a lot better with this than I first thought.}**_

" _Excuse me._ Am I going to be having my turn to speak with her any time soon?"

Tom looks away, leaving me with a little disappointment and a light blush. I want him to stay on for hours. But I'm here to meet his sister. Everyone on Tumblr says she looks just like him. I wonder if that's true.

When Tom moves to the side of the screen, a blonde woman shoes up on the other, a sweet, friendly smile on her face. "Hello!" she says cheerfully.

My eyes widen at the sight of her. I don't really see that much of a resemblance between the two, but… _"Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}** "_

She raises an eyebrow.

"What is it with you and that phrase? I've never heard you use it."

"It means _'Oh my God'_ in Korean. I often use dialectal mixture of my language and English. No judging. By the way, Emma, that wasn't a bad thing. Trust me. It's just…" I consider what to say next, but decided to blurt it out. "Sorry, I have to say this. You're very beautiful."

She giggles at the compliment. "Wow. That, if I might say, is an excellent way to make a first impression."

"Christ, Emma. You meet my girlfriend once, and _already_ I'm at risk of you stealing her."

She rolls her eyes and playfully hits Tom in the gut. There's definitely an impact, but it doesn't phrase Tom. "It's lovely to meet, Myung-hee. Did I pronounce that correctly?"

I nod. "You pronounced it alright."

"Anyway, Tommy's been telling me about you for a quite a while now."

 _Tommy?_ _Naneun geuleul najung-e goelob higi wihae geugeos-eul sayonghal geos-ida. **{Tommy? I'll use that to tease him later.}**_ "Likewise. He's told me about you, too."

"Just a few times." Tom adds.

"I see. By the way, you're just as beautiful as he says you are. Seriously, you look so beautiful like a _porcelain doll_ … You look rather _young_ , though." She narrows her eyes as she studies me.

Tom's eyes widen, and he subtly warns me to cover it up.

"Tom, you know I can clearly see you on the screen, right?" Emma says, looking back at him.

I mentally hit my forehead. In this moment, I can honestly say that was an idiotic move.

"What aren't you telling me? How old is she?"

Tom hesitates to answer. "Uh… twenty-three."

"Tom." She's not buying it.

"Twenty."

"Tom."

"Eighteen."

 _"Tom!"_

He bites his lip and scratches the back of his head nervously. Finally, he sighs in defeat, but the fear remains on his face. "Sixteen."

This turned into a trainwreck in _seconds_. I can see Emma's jaw flexing as she grits and clenches her teeth. She looks at me with a forced sweet smile and voice. "Sweetheart, if you could just give us a moment. I promise you, we will call you back."

"Oh… okay…"

Tom reaches forward for his phone, or _whatever_ he's streaming from. All he does is grab the phone before Emma begins to beat on him with anger and disbelief (in her fists). "I CAN'T BELIEVE THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE IS A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Immediately, the chat is cut off, and I'm left in silence and a little bit of fear for Tom's safety.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena_ " Myung-hee Park

* **Jake T. Austin** as Michael De Soto

* * *

 **Chapter XII: Now, We Wait.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

 _I breathe in your arms, we kiss in your arms. When I hear your voice, it feels like I'm dreaming. I can tell from your eyes, I can tell about your love. You are my heaven. You're my only one way. Only for you I am thankful that I am next to you. You're the only one babe. You taught me love in this harsh world I am happy with you alone. Heaven, my only person, yes the person who will protect me. Any sadness, any pain if only I'm with you. I'm not jealous of anyone else hold my two trembling hands. Because the reason I live is you. You're my only one way. Only for you I am thankful that I am next to you. You're the only one babe. You taught me love in this harsh world I am happy with you alone._

 _Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven x2_

 _If we're together we will never cry never never cry_

 _Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven x2_

 _Forever, together never gonna be alone. Oh, so alone_

As the lyrics goes on for Ailee's _Heaven_ comes to an end, I remain and perfectly still. The second it's over, I stop the recording and take off my earphones, setting them down on the table next to the computer. I take a deep breath and sit back in my chair as I come back down from the emotion and focus of the song.

"Wow."

I look up right away. I blush when I see Michael sitting at the end of the table. "I forgot you were here." I say, my voice a bit raspy.

"It's no problem. You were pretty into it. And it sounded really, really good."

I smile at him. "Thank you." I move the laptop cursor over the options button and save the audio file. I'll take care of it later, make some improvements or something.

"When did you learn how to work this stuff? I look at it, I'm confused as hell." He laughs.

I shrug. "About half an hour before I set it up. Seemed pretty simple to me."

"Yeah. For a _genius_ , it should be like a second- grade math."

I roll my eyes. I stand up and head for the refrigerator. I open it up and take out the large gallon of water. "You want some?" I ask Michael.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm good."

"Alright." I take out a plastic cup from the cabinet in front of my face and pour the water until it nearly overflows. I close the gallon and put it back in the fridge. "I haven't sung like that in a long time. I guess I should have warmed up first."

"Does your voice mess up if you don't warm up?"

I take a huge gulp of water, closing my eyes as it soothes my slightly-sore throat. I swallow it down and nod. "It can. Especially since I'm not used to singing like that."

"Hm. Now I know."

The kitchen becomes silent, the low humming of the computer playing quietly. Just before things could get awkward, my phone buzzes loudly, and the screen lights up. I pick it up from the table and read it. It's a reminder. "Oh man. I have to do laundry right now. Jeez." I lock it and put it in my back pocket. "Can you come downstairs with me? Your benefit will be cooler air since there's air-conditioning down there."

"Sure."

I finish my water and place it in the sink. I head to the door to the basement, open it up, and hurry down the steps, Michael following behind me.

"Wow." He says. "It's pretty cold down here. And everything is… pretty fancy, if you ask me."

The basement is all white: white carpeting, white couches, and white tables. The TV is the only thing colored down down here, which is black. I can see my parents aren't ones for happier hues. It's all so… boring. I hate it. Sometimes, when I'm down here trying to relax, I feel like taking a bunch of paint cans, a few paint brushes, and splattering paint all over the walls. Maybe then it would have some life into it.

"Do your parents not like, you know, a little bit of-"

"Color?" I say, finishing his sentence. "I was just thinking the same thing. I don't know why they did it in one color. It makes them seem so much more boring than they are. But, I haven't really been here. What reason have I to judge?" I go all the way to the back of the basement, approaching a set of white doors (shocker). I open them up. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Uh, can I make a suggestion?" Michael says.

"What?" I say, looking back at him.

"Maybe you should bring the clothes down first."

I look around me. I didn't even bother to get the baskets. I drop my head and let it hang there. I let out a heavy, annoyed sigh. "Damn it." I move around him and head back up the stairs, destination: my goddamn room.

~o~

"And… that's the last of it," I say as I drop the last of the dark clothing into the washing machine. "Now, we wait."

"Can I draw you?" Michael suddenly asks.

I raise an eyebrow. _Geuga naleul kkeul-eo deul-il su issneunji mul-eo boass ni? **{Did he just ask if he could draw me?}**_ "Um… why?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. You have a beautiful face, and I want to see if I have any chance of capturing your features properly. I look at it, and I feel like no drawing would every match it the way it should."

I think about his request, the first of its kind to ever exist in my life. "Did you just say my face is complicated?"

The light in his eyes instantly vanish of the realization of what he said. "What? No! That's not what I meant. I just, I like a challenge, and… no! Challenge is not a good word. I… it's… I wanted to…" He sighs in defeat. "I'm just going to go sit in a corner now. My apologies."

When he turns to walk away, I cover my mouth with my hands to hold back my laughter. He was flustered and panicky, and it was really adorable. I cough a few times to hide my laughter. "There's a sketch pad in the coffee table over there." I point it towards the sitting area. "My art pencils should be underneath it."

He looks at me and smiles nervously, his cheeks are light red. He walks to the coffee table, goes into the drawer, and takes out the supplies. "You could just do whatever you want. I like more natural positions."

I nod. I move to the coffee table and open the same drawer. I take out a notebook and check to see if my pen is still in the spiral. I shut the drawer and plop down on the couch behind me. I bring my legs up next to me tucking my feet underneath me.

Michael sits down on the sofa chair to the left of me. He takes out one of the lighter pencils and opens the sketch pad to a blank page.

I try to ignore him as much as possible and begin writing on a blank page:

 _I miss you, Tom. I miss you so much, too much. I feel like I am here alone. Marilyn's here, I know, but there are things that I talk to you about how I can't talk about her. I have no one. My parents will never get me, I have ONE friend—well, two now. I will talk about the second one later. Ms. Hadsell moved to another school in Boston. And I don't think I will ever see the people I met while I was on the streets again… maybe I should reconnect with Eric. It's been too long since we talked. He was my best friend first. But… I need you here. I need you. You're the only one I really have in this world._

I pause my writing and look up at Michael.

He's scribbling away at the paper, his eyes fixed on his work. There's a focus in them, a sincere dedication to what he's doing. He's so lost in it, I wonder how well this will turn out. Or how terrible. I don't know why he thought I was beautiful. That's clearly a lie. I mean, look at me, I'm so— _tsh._ Damn it.

I start a new paragraph and continue writing:

 _I have been working on my insecurity, you know. But I don't think it's going so well. I was judging the hell out of myself. Again, I can't help it. I don't see what you or anyone else claim to see me as a beautiful person. I'm sorry. It still hurts to see myself in the mirror, to see all the imperfections that will always be there. I remember what you said, though. "The more you look for them, the worse you'll get with judging yourself." I drew a picture for it. I will probably send it for you later. But if I send it, don't try to convince me to go to a therapist. You have been doing that quite a bit lately, and I would like it if you would just stop. I already told you my thoughts on therapists and psychiatrists and all that crap. I'm not changing my mind._

I look up again. He's changed pencils now. It's a darker shade; he's probably outlining it now or something. I don't know how he works it. I love the way his jaw flexes as he moves to draw from different angles, how his hands glide across the paper like nothing. There's a light in his eyes, a determined light. A creative light. I'm familiar with it. It's not a light you can literally see. It's a light that even in the darkest rooms, comes out when you're doing something you love. And it's clear to see that he loves drawing.

"If you keep staring at me, I'm drawing you like that."

I work to keep from blushing. I try to refocus on my writing, but I need to sneak a look one last time. Without moving my head, I look up at him through my hair bangs and eyelashes, and there's half a grin on his face. I smile a little bit and continue writing:

 _I should get to telling you about the new friend I have met. His name is Michael. I don't know his last name, which is kind of annoying. It feels weird to me if I don't know my friends' last names. Anyway, he's really cool. He likes art, music, literature, and hates school. I didn't think we would have so much in common. Go figure. I will probably introduce you to him another day. He's drawing me right now. Haha. He asked me if he could draw me. Apparently he finds drawing my face a challenge. After he explained, I just took it as a compliment. So, yeah. I'm just sitting here writing while he draws me. He better make me prettier than I am. There's nothing wrong with a little lie in a picture. I mean really, who knew for sure Mona Lisa didn't have any eyebrows? That could have been just been edited or something._

 _I… don't know else to talk about. Um… well. How's the filming going on? Have you gotten through any scenes? You are going to send me some footage, right? (_ _)/ I'm just kidding. Are you working with anyone new? Aren't you doing a movie with Tilda Swinton? Only Lovers Left Alive, right? I want to hear how that's going. I wish I were over there with you. I know, I know. I keep saying that. But I won't be saying it for long, since I'm going to see you this summer. I will never be able to thank you enough for that. I swear, you don't know how happy and excited I am. I have never wanted summer to come so badly._

 _I have so much to show you. I have new stories and a lot more drawings, and a lot more drawings, and I made my first recording today. Can you listen to it? I want somebody's feedback, and you're the only one I trust to be honest with me._

"Almost done." Michael says.

"Okay."

 _I hate being by myself, Tom. It's so boring. I miss having you here, spending time with you, living with you for those last days you were in Stamford. Just… just tell me I will be okay. Tell me we will see each other sooner than I think. Tell me one day I will be able to be with you again. God, this is turning really cliché. I was going to e-mail this to you, but I think I will keep it for myself. It's getting too mushy. I got my feelings out. Right? Haha. I'm literally talking to nothing now. What would you say at this time? Something inspirational, probably. "As long as you are getting your feelings out instead of keeping them locked up, I'm glad you're pretending I'm listening at the moment." Okay, that's probably not what you would say. But… yeah, I'm such a silly girl._

"Done."

I stop writing and look up at Michael; he's holding the picture for me to see.

I'm instantly in love with the picture; it's not what he drew, but how he drew it. The sketches, the precision, the shading. It looks like it took him an hour to draw, maybe two when I see a majority of my facial details were taken into account (usually a sketch would not include so much effort). _"Uwa… **{Wow…}** "_ I finally say, the only compliment I can come up with at the moment. I move to the other end of the coach and reach for the drawing.

He hands it to me, a smile on his face. "I guess you like it."

"Oh yes." I look closely to find a flaw in his drawing, a mistake, _something_ to prove this drawing isn't as perfect as I think. He even got my hand right, as well as the notebook and pencil. "Have I been writing for that long? It seemed like five minutes to me."

"More like half an hour. You went through a few pages in your notebook. You didn't notice that?"

I look at my notebook and grab it. I flip through previous pages, going through about four before I finally reach the beginning of the entry. " _Uwa. **{Whoa.}**_ No, I guess I didn't notice." I toss it to the side and look at the picture again. It looks exactly like me, but… prettier. My eyes immediately move to my cheeks. I feel my own self-consciously. _Jeongmal geuge yalb-eungayo? **{Am I really that thin?}**_ Shaking off the thought, I hand the notebook back to him. "This is awesome. Thanks."

"No problem. It was fun drawing you. You got so lost in your own work. It is a perfect image."

Perfect. Hm. Strong words you are using, Micheal?" I flinch at the surprising sound of the washing machine. A loud buzzing noise plays for a few long seconds, then the room goes completely silent. I sigh and stand up. "Time for another load." I say, slowly moving to the washing machine.

In my head—why they are there that beats the hell out of me—are his eyes the way they looked while he worked. They were… mesmerizing? Is that a good word for it? There was passion in his movements, passion for drawing. At least, I hope it was for drawing. Unless for… _ani-yo. Ani-yo. **{no. No.}**_ It was for drawing. Just. Drawing.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

 ***Emma Hiddleston** as Herself

* * *

 **Chapter XIII: She's My Everything (Tom's P.O.V)**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

She pounds on my arms, my back, my legs, anything she has access to for a good five minutes. I don't even try to fight back (that would be a mistake). I just lean against the wall of my flat, arms up for protection, taking it until it's over.

" _Sixteen,_ Tom?!" Emma brings to an end and steps back to look at me. _"Sixteen bloody years old?!"_

"It was an accident. I had no idea she would turn out to be so young!"

"Who the hell are _you_ telling? She's a _child_!"

"She's _much_ more mature than you give her credit for."

"She better be. She's only half your age. That's okay, right?"

"Why does that matter, Emma? I wasn't paying attention to her age. I was paying attention to her personality, the way she smiles-" I'm immediately cut off by Emma's hand across my face. I realize I was getting off track, but I hardly think that's why she slapped me.

"She hasn't even graduated yet! She hasn't even started university! Are you really so desperate that you would resort to falling 'in love' with a teenage _'korean'_ girl in America?"

"Who said anything about being _desperate_? I told you know how we met. Nowhere in the story did I tell you about continuously asking her out, or spoiling her, or trying to impress her. She was…" I think of a way to explain it to Emma, but I'm afraid there are hardly any words that can describe what Myung-hee is to me. "It was one interview. Just one. And… the way she stumbled over her words was adorable. The way she tried to keep her focus after how nervous I knew she was. And the way she laughed; I could play her laugh over and over like it was a number one hit on the radio and never get tired. She was so _ethereally_ beautiful, and she didn't even know it."

Emma is listening. Not judging, not showing disgust or disappointment. Just listening.

I stand there, smiling to myself, smiling to the memory of Myung-hee in all of her beauty. Her smile wide on her face, the light of happiness only I've seen. She's so wonderful, and I truly love her.

"You're crazy about her, aren't you?" Emma says, crossing her arms over her chest.

Still thinking of her, I answer with glazed eyes. "Try insane. She's everything. She's _my_ everything."

She stares at me, probably looking for a lie somewhere on my face.

I'd wish her good luck if I could, because she will find nothing but truth in my words. _I love Athena… I. Love. Myung-hee._

She groans and turns away. She walks to the far side of the flat and back, turning it into a well-timed pacing. She's thinking. She's considering all that I've said. Emma is very hard to convince in situations, and by the look of her poker face, I can't tell whether I've won her over or not. Not that it would matter if I didn't. She's not in charge of me. She never has been.

"How did this happen? Were you looking for somebody at the time, or-"

"No." I reply. "I wasn't looking for anyone. I didn't plan on meeting someone. I just went to Stamford for a little while, and I ended up falling in love."

After a couple of more silent minutes, she stops and turns to face me again. Hesitant, she walks over to me and pulls me down into a hug.

I hug her back. Her embrace always reminded me of our mother's, and they're so relaxing.

"Don't make any mistakes, Tom." She says to me. "Please. I know you better than that, but just remember who she is and who you are."

"I'll be fine. I would never do anything to hurt her in anyway. She means too much to me."

"Alright." She gives me a kiss on the cheek and pulls away. There's a kind smile on her face. "I'm not saying I'm completely okay with this. But as long as you remain faithful to her, I'll learn to get used to it."

"Thank you. Honestly, when I found myself thinking about her the first time, I was convinced I really was desperate. To find interest in a girl so young. It was insanity. But I had to be with her again. I needed the sound of her voice. I needed to be with her again. I was addicted somehow. By the time I had my first real date with her, I realized she needed to be in my life. She was—she _is_ perfect."

"I see. So you have taken into consideration how much she needs to mature. Tell me, is she your fan? Was she your fan before this started?"

I nodded slowly. I know what she's playing at, and I will not let her mess with my head. "Yes. She was a fan, but she wasn't like all the other fans. She didn't really care that I was famous. She didn't ask me for an autograph, or any of the usual things. She was cool with me, as if I was just another person she was talking to… Anyway, I know you still think I'm crazy. It's clear in the way you speak to me. But lock me up in an institution if you must, because I'm crazy about her."

She half-smiles towards me. "You're right." She says. "You're absolutely right. I _do_ think you're crazy. I also think love can come so unexpectedly, sometimes _too_ unexpectedly. From what I saw today, she seems like a very nice girl-"

"Woman." I correct her. "I know she isn't exactly one yet, but she definitely does not have the mind of simply just a girl."

"Ugh, you're going to make this awkward for me, aren't you?"

I shrug. "Well, I do find it a little funny."

She rolls her eyes, annoyed. "She seems like a very nice _woman_ , and she obviously makes you happy. I'm…" She seems to be struggling to finish her sentence, and I have to do my best to keep from laughing. "I'm glad you someone to love after Susannah. I swear, I thought that break-up would be the end of you."

"Yeah. I thought so, too. You know, I saw her the other day."

"Did you? Where?"

"The guitar shop I always check out. She was for a birthday present for… I can't remember who. But… I have to say, she looked beautiful."

"And there you go. Already making mistakes."

"I said she looked beautiful. I didn't say I wanted to be with her again. Our relationship came to a point where we just weren't compatible. But she just kept flirting and flirting and flirting with me. She expected me to do the same in return, but I couldn't. I had Myung-hee on my mind. I was looking for a guitar to buy and play a song for her."

"That must've been awkward for her. Does she know you're taken?"

"I don't think so. Or maybe she does. I'm not really sure. But somehow someone saw us and got a picture of it. It ended up in the tabloids that same day."

"Oh God. Myung-hee saw it, didn't she?"

I shake my head and sigh. "Unfortunately, yes. Now I'm afraid it's bothering her. Nothing happened that day but a conversation. It was a matter of coincidence and now everyone is making it look like I want to get back together with Susannah."

She sighs heavily. I hope she believes me, too. I can't have two of my important women turned on me. "Well, I have no doubt you two will get through this. As long as you remind her that the tabloids have a talent of lying." She runs her fingers through my hair and messes it up like she used to when I had the curls. "Now, let's go call her back. I'm sure we've kept her waiting long enough."

I smile then grab my phone, and look for the FaceTime app.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* **Jake T. Austin** as Michael De Soto

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

* **Emma Hiddleston** as Herself

* * *

 **Chapter XIV: Why Did You Come Back?**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

I pick up a handful of clothes from the pile I made on top of the drying machine and toss them into the washing machine. When I reached for more, my phone starts buzzing loudly against metal. I grab if quickly, blushing from how loud the sound was. I look at the screen and smile at the sight of Tom's name. I accept the request and stand my phone up against the large "Start" button on the drying machine.

"I'm sorry we kept you waiting, Myung-hee." Emma says as their screen loads up and focuses on each other.

"I thought you guys were _never_ coming back." I say with a smile. "Don't worry about it."

I hear a ringing on the other end of the chat. Emma looks down at something, probably her cellphone. She makes a face of disappointment. "We just started talking. Damn it. I will be right back. I'll let you talk to Tom for now." She turns the screen, and the camera now focuses on Tom's face.

"Hi Tom." I say with a soft tone. I ended up surprising myself; that sounded _really_ flirtatious.

"Hello, darling. What have you been up to?" He moves closer to the camera.

"Oh, you know." I grab a shirt from the pile and hold it up. "Fun laundry time. Living in that poor life."

"Is that a lace underwear I see?" He says, raising an eyebrow.

 _"Eh?"_ I look at the article of the clothing, confused. Then I notice exactly what he is talking about. My pink + black polka dot lace underwear is in my hand! " _Eom-ma-ya! Geugeon syeocheuga aniya! **{Oh my god! That's not a shirt!}** "_ I throw it forcefully into the machine, desperate to get it out of the camera.

"Aw. You don't know how much that was turning me on."

"I _thought_ it was a shirt. It _looked_ like a shirt when I picked it up."

"Well, maybe it is a shirt. Let's see it again."

I roll my eyes. He thinks he's slick. "What are you? A teenage boy? And they are in the water already. Too late." I put in another handful of clothing.

"Eighteen will come, love and I _will_ have you." He says it low, quietly, with a rumble in his voice that made me blush madly.

"The more you talk to me like that, the longer this year is going to feel to me." I toss in the last of the clothing and shut the top of the laundry machine. I pick up the phone.

"That's the fun of it. If I tease and torture you now, you will have to get revenge on me when you're eighteen."

I place my index finger below my lips like a curious virgin girl (from which I really am). "Ehhh… Revenge, huh." I smile innocently. "Maybe, I will be looking forward to it."

He thinks about everything he just said. "You know what? I'll cut back on the teasing. I'm not liking what I think you have in mind."

I shake my head. "No, I didn't think you would."

He smiles and gives a breathy laugh.

I can't help but do the same. His smile makes me smile even more. It's like an enchanting spell, or charm, or _something_ I can never explain.

"If you start the baby-talk with whoever that is, I'm out." Michael says, tossing his cellphone aside.

I feel my cheeks heat a bit, and I laugh to cover up my embarrassment. "I forgot you were here," I say to Michael. I walk around the couch to sit next to Michael and I move the camera over until the both of us are in the picture. "Michael, this is Tom. My boy-"I quickly cut myself off. I can't let him know he's my boyfriend. Damn it, I forgot. "My little boy-of-a-friend. Most kid-like guy I know, yet closest friend I could ever have." I look at Tom. "Tom, this is Michael. I met him not too long ago. He goes to school with me."

"A pleasure to meet you here." Tom says, though he doesn't sound too enthusiastic.

"Same here. Hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you? You look twenty-something."

He snorts. "You're too kind. I won't tell you my age, but I am older than Myung-hee."

"Oh, okay. Where do you live? You don't seem like the type from around here."

"England. Other side of the pond."

"Whoa." Michael looks at me. "How'd you meet him?" He asks me.

I raise my eyebrow. "All these questions, though." I say jokingly.

"Well, how else am I gonna get to know him. I can't read his mind."

I sigh. "He stayed in Stamford for a while. I met him for an interview for the school paper."

His eyes widen instantly, as if he already know what I am talking about. He looks at Tom, then at me, then at Tom, then back at me. I assume he has something put together, because the realization washes over his face. He looks back at Tom. "What the hell—you're _Loki_."

Tom inhales with a little hiss. "I prefer to go by the name 'Tom', but yes. I am Loki, of Asgard-"

"Don't you dare do it, or I will lose my _mind_." I warn Tom. I always been swoon at that line, sometimes without knowing it, and I will not let him or Michael see me do it. No one knows that side of me, and no one… _ever_.

He laughs. This whole teasing thing is going to drive me nuts. "I'm more commonly known as Tom Hiddleston. Expect for my sister, who refers to me as Tommy, sometimes 'idiot'."

"Because you _are_ one, Tommy." Emma re-enters the picture. She smiles kindly. "Hello again. Hopefully we'll be able to continue this meeting without any more interruptions. Who's your friend?"

Michael waves to her. "Michael de Soto. I guess you're his sister."

"You guess right. I'm Emma. You're Myung-hee's friend?"

"Yep." He sounds almost disappointed. He tries to cover it up, but I can hear it in his voice. _Geuneun nae chingu gat-eun geos-eul joh-ahaji anhseubnikka? **{Does he not like being my friend or something?}**_

"Ah I see." Emma says.

The chat lasts for two hours, but it feels like all day. Tom and Michael got to know each other. Emma and I got to know each other. I like Emma, she is sweet, and she is a lot like Tom's personality-wise and in physicality. I just hope this isn't fake, like she secretly hates me or something. We have a few things in common. But, after a while, I got a little interested in hearing Tom and Michael's conversation. At some point in their talking, they started… I don't know. I guess you could say comparing. Intelligence, knowledge of comic books, achievements. It was almost like they were battling each other. It was amusing yet worrying, but I didn't think too much of it. I assume it's just a guy thing.

"Okay. My mom's upstairs. She will let you out."

He leans in and gives me a hug goodbye. "See you tomorrow." He says. He stands up, goes up to the staircase, and disappears up the steps.

"I should get going as well." Emma says. "I'm sure you and Tom would like some alone time together."

"I would like that." Tom gazing at me.

I half-smiled at him. "It was nice to meet you, Emma."

"Likewise. I'll talk to you soon." She waves goodbye and exits the screen. A few seconds later, a door opens and closes, then Emma is _gone_.

"So what _would_ you have done if I finished the line?" He ask curiously.

"Ended the call." I raise my eyebrows.

He laughs. "You know, I was thinking about something."

"What?"

"I bought you a beautiful present, had it packaged and ready to be sent… and it's still sitting in my bedroom."

I roll my eyes. "Nice going, Tom."

"I forgot about it! I've been so busy with filming and interviews, a couple of Q&As too, that it must've slipped my mind."

I shrug. "It's alright. As long as it's nothing too expensive."

He opens his mouth to say something, but his eyes are the first to tell me.

"It's expensive, isn't it?" I say to him.

"Maybe."

 _"Tom."_ I whine.

"I'm sorry. I can't help myself. I just want you to have the best things."

"You can't keep on spoiling me. I am not the kind of person. I mean, obviously I like those kind of gifts. But I like getting them _once_ in a while. You know?"

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry. I just wanted you to have it. After all, it was _your_ seventeenth birthday."

"Well. One year farther from childhood."

"One year closer to going to public."

I take a deep breath. I think about that for a moment. We could go out in public together. I can kiss him. I can be with him. We can go on real dates that are not in such quiet, remote places (though I really don't those places). The camera can see me. The press can see me. The fans, the photographers, his co-stars. "Do we really want that?" Why that suddenly came out, I don't know. But it's a good question, and I am not taking it back.

"What do you mean? You wouldn't want to make this a public thing?"

I shrug again. "Part of me does, but… so many celebrities' relationships have ended because of too much publicity. And you are obviously a rising star _very_ quickly in the tabloids. I would hate for those paparazzi pricks to be the end of us."

He considers everything I have to say. I wonder if he's even thought about that before. "No cameraman, or movie, or magazine, or _anything_ will break us up, because I won't let it. Let the paparazzi be _pricks_ , as you kindly put it. This relationship is about _us_ , not them. And believe me. I would never let it go that far. I'll try my best to maintain my privacy more than publicity as much as possible. I just want to be able to show you off to the world."

"Possibly piss off a few fan girls while you at it." I giggle.

"I can't help that. I love my fans dearly, but I have to live my life here. And that means finding a Mrs. Hiddleston at some point."

"That's true."

"I just want to know something. Why are you so worried about this," He gestures between himself and me with his index finger, "ending? I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. How many times must I say it until you understand that nothing will happen to us? Unless you're looking to end it between us."

 _"Ani-yo! **{No!}** "_ I say instantly. "Of course not! I just… I mean… I… I really don't know how to explain… I never saw myself as someone's girlfriend. And whenever I tried. It would always be them leaving me because of something I did. Whether it's not being good enough, or not making them happy, or how depressed I really can get, it's always my fault. I keep on feeling like I'm going to push you away. I _tried_ pushing you away after the whole 'tell the police' incident. Remember? I ignored you, never saw you again. It hurts me, but not as much as it should have. Yet you still came back." I'm staring at the floor, right into the vast space of my painful mind, connecting to the draining emotion that is my depression. "Why did you come back? I cut you off in the blink of an eye. What made you come back?" I feel my chest and throat begin to tighten, and I know this is going to get emotional.

"To be honest, I sort of… I didn't want to. I knew I messed up. I hurt you. I thought it would be better if I left you alone, but it was too late. You, and everything about you, were burnt into my mind."

Tears begin to run down my cheeks. I wanted so badly to take them back. I don't know why I am wasting them. I'm such a child.

"I was already falling for you. You are so rare. You're… you're perfect. I was driving past the school on my way to meet a friend, and without realizing it, I was walking into the main office, asking for a visitor's pass. I remember you had told me what period of the say you were in the auditorium, so I went there. I told myself I shouldn't, but my heart was pulling me."

"I'm such in pain, Tom." I whisper through my silent sobs. "My mind is destroyed. I'm such a downer. I'm falling apart. I can never see what about me makes you want to stay with me, but you always do. I'm rude, sarcastic, a failure at school and at controlling my feelings."

"Because I. Love. You. I love everything about you. I looked past your mask, and I saw the most beautiful woman in the world, and also the most hurtful woman. Yet you are still strong, because I almost see a smile on your face always. And I know you're falling apart. You've been broken too much. And every day I wish I was there to help by holding you together until you're fixed. I don't care about what the tabloids say, why my parents say, what anyone on this planet says. I am in love with you, Myung-hee, and every day I fall deeper and deeper in love with you. Do you still have my ring?"

I sniffle and wipe the tears off my face. "Yes. It's in my room."

"When you get a chance. Look at it however long you'd like, and remember that it's my promise to you, my promise that I am yours. I am that ring. Believe it or not, you've got me wrapped around, you would've been living here a _long_ time ago. I bought you a ticket to live here for the summer, didn't I? Because you wanted to be here."

"That's true." I wipe the rest of the tears with my fingers to clean them off. I clear my throat a few times. "Talk about emotional, huh?" I say.

He smiles. "I know it's still early, but perhaps you should get some rest. I'll talk to you when I get the chance. Alright?"

I nodded before I smiled him in return. _"Sarang haeyo. **{I love you.}** "_ I say.

It took a few seconds to be silence between us until he says. _"Judo sarang haeyo. **{I love you too.}** "_ Just before he logs off, I notice his eyes. They were pink and moist. He was about to cry. _I Ileon, **{Oh God,}**_ I made him cry. I'm terrible.

Feeling drained from crying, I decided to lie on the couch and turn on the television. I don't feel like going all the way towards my room. I will just relax for the night. I lay my phone on the floor next to me and put on Criminal Minds on the DVR.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

* **Brenna D'Amico** as Marilyn Rivera

* **Robert Downey, Jr.** as Himself

* **Patricia Velásquez** as Mrs. Ramirez

* * *

 **Chapter XV: What Do You Want?**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

"I don't understand it, Marilyn!" I say as we collect our stuff from our desks. She places her supplies in her bag neatly, whereas I just stuff things in and hope nothing gets crushed in the process. "I love him. You don't know how much I love Tom. But all he does is making me cry, and I am always feeling just that little hint of depression in me. I am supposed to be happy, smiling, feeling like the luckiest person in the world… why I do always feel like a little girl crying over her lost doll?"

"Has he done something to make you cry?" Marilyn zips up her bag and looks at me.

"He doesn't have to anything. His presence causes all the pain. He's _perfect;_ I'm not. He's _talented;_ me? Not so much. He's rich and successful; I'm sure as hell, not either of those things. He's amazing, handsome and famous and I'm… I'm just Athena Park… I'm just Park Myung-hee, the girl nobody knows. And if they _do_ know me, they will most likely know me as the girl who was missing for years on end. He's way, way out of my league. I never see what he could possibly see in me. I'm sure he has told me numerous times, but I just don't believe in any of it. It just sounds like bullshit to my ears."

"Hurry up, girls. I do have a lunch I would like to eat." Our History teacher says.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Salerno." I reply. I zip my bag closed.

"Could it be your fault, then?" Marilyn asks.

"What? How could it be my fault? It's his stupid-ass, life-ruining _perfection_ that's causing me a lot of pain."

"Yeah, but everything you said sounds like you're hating on yourself rather than hating on him. You're giving him positive qualities, and yourself negative qualities. Instead of looking at the brighter side, you're looking at the darker side, and that way of thought is making you depressed. You're making _yourself_ cry."

I take in all her words. _Why do I have a feeling she's right?_ "So you are saying I am blaming him for something that I am doing."

She shakes her head yes.

I sigh. "Instead of admitting you are right, can't I just keep on hating him for hurting me like that?"

"Not unless he's doing it on purpose."

I sigh even deeper. "Fine. You are… you are probably right?" I sling my book bag over my arm.

"I should be. I learned how to do that in Psychology class. I'm surprised it helped."

"Yeah. Do me a favor and don't get used to it?" I walk ahead of her and out of the classroom.

She catches up and keeps up with my pace. "You know. Maybe you should work on that."

I snort. "You make it sound so easy. This is a simulation of a situation. This is the real thing we are dealing with."

"I'm not an idiot, Thena. I never said it would be easy. But it wouldn't hurt to work on it a step at a time. It's time you start laughing with Tom instead of crying. I'm more than willing to help you with it."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Maybe she can help me. Can I really change? Could I possibly have the chance to feel better about myself? Or all these questions are crazy thoughts created from hopeless wishing? "You know what? I'm going to see him this summer. Let me work it out as much as I can. Then, when I get back and if I still want it, you can help me. Deal?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Wait, you're going to see him?"

I nod my head.

"In England?"

"Yes."

"Where all the hot guys are?"

I let my shoulders rise and fall with my "No idea" face.

"Oh my gosh, have _fun_! Last time I was there for a fashion show. The Four Seasons hotel staff were so nice-"

"I am not going to a hotel. I am… um… I am staying with him. With Tom."

I feel like I spoke another language, because she gives me such a confused look. "You're staying in England."

I raised an eyebrow. "I think we had just covered that."

"With Tom."

I nod my head.

Now _I'm_ a little confused. "I swear, it's like I just said all of this already."

"That's not why I'm repeating it. You _just_ _said_ you have emotional issues when you're around with Tom. Now you're flying to England to spend a summer with Tom… Now, how does _that_ makes sense?"

I shrug it off. "I think I will be fine. I can handle it."

"Look." I stop right at the cafeteria entrance and face her. "I need to see him. I still miss him, and this Susannah-thing is driving me _nuts_. Plus, this is _England_ we are talking about. I have always dreamed of going there. I would still find a way to go even without Tom's invitation." I hesitate as I think my next thought through. Finally, I wrap my arms around her and hug her. I count to three in my head before letting go. "Thank you for your concern, but I will be fine."

"You hugged me." She says in shock.

"Yeah, don't start getting used to it." I walk up the hallway into the most dangerous room of the school: the cafeteria.

~o~

"What do you have next?" Marilyn asks me.

I point to the auditorium entrance as we approach it. "Drama."

"Oh. I have the third floor. I'll see you later."

"Alright. Bye." I wave goodbye to her and enter the open doors of the auditorium. _Ask Ms. Ramirez about the play._ I immediately reminded myself.

I set my stuff down on my usual seat and hurry down the aisle. I run up the steps and slip behind the curtain, out of my classmates' sight.

"Ms. Ramirez?" I call out because God knows if she will ever spends time in office.

"In here, sweetheart!"

I follow her voice right into her office.

She sits at her desk, her back to the door, clicking at a game of Solitaire.

"Hi, Miss. I was wondering if you have any more of those sheets about auditions."

"You're auditioning?" she says, spinning around to look at me.

"Considering it. I haven't decided yet."

"You need to decide that you'll do it. You can act, Athena. You have real potential."

I give her a small, effortless smile. "Maybe."

She pulls something out from underneath her grade book and hands it to me. "There are altos desperately needed in this play, just to let you know."

"Okay." I fold it in half and slide it into my back pocket.

"Athena, do me a favor. Just pop your head out the door and yell for Rob."

"Sure." I stick my head out into the open. "Rob! Ms. Ramirez needs you!"

"Thank you, dear."

"No problem." I exit her office and walked back out into the auditorium itself. I jump down from the stage and head back to my seat.

Five minutes later, Ms. Ramirez finally comes out and sits on the edge of the stage. "Alright, I have good news and bad news. Bad news is: you're going to have to move up to third now, Athena."

I get up disappointedly and grab my stuff. I side-step out of the row and move to the seat Ms. Ramirez is pointing to. I plop down and fake a smile towards her.

"Don't be like that. You know it's the same routine every day."

I don't respond as I stay silent.

She sighs. "Alright. Good news is: we'll be doing some helpful acting exercises today."

The entire class around me groans at the announcement. I think it's correct to say this is _not_ good news for them. I, on the other hand, couldn't care less.

Ms. Ramirez echoes their groans, making fun of their reactions. " _Ugh. Ms. Ramirez._ That means we have to do _work_."

A few students laugh.

"Only we weren't patient enough to hear it's with Robert Downey, Jr."

Confused looks spread across everyone's faces; everyone except me. _Hananim-ui Eomeoni. **{Mother of God.}**_

"You don't believe her?" Someone shouts from behind the curtain. Then, at the center-stage, the curtains are thrown apart. Robert Downey, Jr. comes walking out in a bleach-white button-down shirt and pitch-black pants.

The air instantly fill with screams, shouts and whistles for such a legend as Mr. Downey.

 _That son of a… Dear God, kill me now._

It's a while before everyone else is calmed down, _especially_ the girls. One of them even started sobbing uncontrollably. That's really sad.

"Yes, yes, my children." Robert says. "It is me. I am here. I promise, I am not hologram."

Ms. Ramirez has a wide, amused smile across her face. She looks back at the class. "I met Rob a few years ago in a clu—er, coffee place in New York. We've been pretty good friends ever since. He's here in Stamford for a few more days, so I gave him a quick call. He agreed to teach my last drama class today. That happens to be you lucky cookies."

"You are all lucky cookies, indeed. So here's how it's gonna work. Every time we start an exercise, I will demonstrate it with Claire." He gesture to Ms. Ramirez with his hand. "Then break off into two or more."

"And before I forget." Ms. Ramirez hops off the stage and grabs a yellow bucket of books off the piano. "You all have to take monologue book at random."

"Good. You guys will be needing that. But first thing we're gonna do is get up. Come on, all of you."

Quiet groans, of course, are the students' responses (myself included).

"Cut it with the groans like I'm making you lift weights. I'm forty-eight-years old, and standing is _still_ as easy as the breeze for me. Up, up, up!"

He waits patiently until all our lazy bodies are up. Actually, he looks like he's doing more than waiting. He's… _searching_. He's scanning every face with his eyes up until he lands on… ugh, _me_. Wonderful. I totally needed him to see me.

He smiles and chuckles to himself.

I rub my eyes as I feel the stress coming on. _Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!_

As Robert gives the directions, I hear someone breathing next to my ear. I look to my right to see who the hell it is.

A brunette girl with blonde streaks in her hair is staring at me, _studying_ me, with the most curious look I have ever seen.

I wait for her to go away, but that clearly isn't going to happen. "May I help you?" I ask her with a creeped-out voice.

She points to Robert. "You know who that is, don't you?"

I slowly nod my head yes.

"So how are you not freaking out?"

I shrug, unsure of what to say.

"Told you she was a freak." Someone next to her says.

The girl moves back to her spot behind me.

I have no idea why, but the other girl's comment really gives a blow to my chest. I am a freak. I knew that already. It's been that way since freshmen year. So… why did her words offend me?

After the strange encounter, my mind took it as an okay to drift off. I'm deep in the world of one of my fan-fictions, re-enacting a scene, when someone waves a hand in front of my face. It's a few seconds before I looked up at the person.

Robert is smiling at me, eyebrows raised. "You back, Little Myu-Myu?"

I glare at him. "Again with the name. What do you want?"

"Everyone else is paired up in a heartbeat. You seem to be the only student left without a partner."

"So what? You find this an opportunity to talk to me?"

"No… well, yes, but not just like this. I'm going to be your partner."

"Oh, joy." I push myself up off the seat and follow him to a spot he chooses by the stage.

He turns around and faces me. "Alright. Meditation."

"Eh? You actually meditate?" I raise an eyebrow.

He thinks about my question for a second even though it wasn't a very complicated question. Then he leans in close enough for no one else to hear him. "Not really. Some of the girls are just scaring me a bit. A couple of them looked a little evil when they are staring at me."

I nod my head knowingly. "The Goths. Yes, they always look like that. Don't worry about it."

"Right. You can just do the breathing techniques. I don't care."

"You are such a great teacher. I swear." I start taking deep, square breaths. Breath in, count to five, breath out, count to five. _Igeos-eun salamdeul-i malhaneun geoscheoleom doum-i doel geos-ibnida. **{This better be as helpful as the people say.}**_

"You probably assumed already that I'm here for you."

" _No_." I reply with the greatest amount of sarcasm. " _You_ don't say. I would never have guessed."

"Alright, alright. Take it easy, Princess of Sarcasm. In truth, I don't want you. Gwyn does."

"Gwyn?" I repeat. "As in Gwyneth Paltrow? Why does she want _me_?"

He shrugs. "She likes you. She called you a rare gem. Kind, intelligent, mature. There's something very, and I'm quoting her, 'grown up' about your personality. I told her that was a hell of a first impression of Little Myu-Myu. But Gwyn usually has a good judgment, and she seems to have some kind of faith in you."

"So what does that mean? Does she want to be friends or something? Am I getting a gift out of this? What's the deal?"

"She wants to meet you. A movie, a spa day, go to dinner or something."

I begin laughing quietly. Surely, he _must_ be joking. "I don't think so. I'm going to have to decline."

"Why?" He gives me a curious look.

"Because there are more celebrities in my life than three should be. Tom Hiddleston, _Emma_ Hiddleston, you, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth. All you need to do is throw in Leonardo DiCaprio and Mads Mikkelsen, and I will be drop dead."

"You'd think a teen girl would think herself _blessed_ with a life like that."

" _Eom-ma-ya, **{Oh my god,}** stereotypes_. I don't think I'm _'blessed'_. I think I'm getting mixed in with the wrong people. People like celebrities are _used_ to getting attention. I'm sure as hell am _not_. Celebrities go out doing what they love. I'm still in school; _clearly_ I'm doing that.

He sighs. "Look, your life is getting to a point where you'll _have_ to get used to it. If you stay with Tom for the long run, the celebrity life will become _your_ life, whether you like it or not.

I absorb his words as soon as he finishes. He's right. Tom is beoming more and more famous by the day. His fanbase is rapidly increasing. And he still has more movies and plays coming his way. Soon enough, I won't be left with any other choice but to deal with it. I close my eyes and made a deep sigh. "When, where and what time?"

"Gwyn told me to tell you we're having dinner with some friends tonight at seven. You can wear a casual dress or something. I'll get your address from Tom."

"Wait, when you say 'friends'-"

"Alright! That's quite enough meditation for one day. Time for the next exercise."

I know for a fact that he did that to avoid the question. As the rest of the class time runs on, I can't do anything but dread over the fact that I am going to dinner with celebrities. _Naega nae mulgeon-e don-eul jibulhaneun geos-eul algedoendamyeon, naega mul-eul masil su-issneun geos-eun geuge naega jinjihage yeoyuleul gajil su issgi ttaemun-ida. **{If I find out I'm paying for my own stuff, I'm getting a glass of water because that's all I can seriously afford.}**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

* **Robert Downey, Jr.** as Himself

* **Cha Seung-Won** as Park Woo-bin {Myung-hee's father}

* **Woo Hee-Jin** as Park Eun-hye {Myung-hee's mother}

* * *

 **Chapter XVI: I Cannot Believe This.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

"I cannot believe this." I grumble. I have been ranting to myself since I got home from the mall half an hour ago. I can't yell at my parents, and I can't yell at Marilyn. I might as well yell at my room.

"I cannot believe I seriously _agreed_ to this. What in the world was I thinking? I don't belong with that crowd. Do I look like I should be dining with celebrities? _No! I don't!_

Once I am done removing the outfits from their plastic bags, I lay out the combinations and stare at them. They are three of the simplest and nicest outfits I could afford. I stay a foot or so away from them so my post-shower hair can't drip water on them.

Five minutes pass, and I'm still staring at them. Great. How do girls do this? How the hell do I choose one? Do I flip a coin or something? I want to call Marilyn for help, but I didn't even _tell_ her about tonight. It's bad enough that I am going through with the dinner. The last thing I need is for people to _know_ about it.

 _"Yeon-in? **{Sweetheart?}** "_

Especially my eomeoni. _"O ani-yo! **{Oh No!}** "_ I whisper. I panic when my eomeoni starts knocking on my bedroom door. I grab the folded comforter from beside my pillow. I unravel it and spread it out over the outfits. I go to door and open it for my eomeoni. _"Ye? **{Yeah?}** "_ I say to her.

 _"Yeobo, nega pil-yolohaneun geos-eul jeonghwaghi balgyeonhaessda. **{Sweetheart, I found exactly what you need.}** "_

 _I wonder what it is_. _"Ige mwoya? **{What is it?}** "_

 _"Naneun dangsin-ui bang-eseo jag-eob hal su-issneun wanbyeoghan sae chaegsang-eul balgyeonhaessda. **{I found a perfect, brand-new desk for you to work on in your room.}** Dangsin-i joh-ahaneun saegkkal jung hanaida. **{It's even in one of your favorite colors.}** "_

 _"Hwaiteu? **{White?}** "_

She gives me a confused look. _"Naneun nega palansaeg-eul joh-ahandago saeng-gag haess-eo? **{I thought you liked blue?}** "_

I shake my head no. _"Hwaiteu. Hangsang huinsaeg. **{White. Always white.}** "_

She looks surprised for a moment. Was she not expecting that answer?"

 _"Naega palansaeg-eul joh-ahandaneun saeng-gag-eul han geos-eun mueos-ibnikka? **{What gave you the idea that I liked blue?}** "_

 _"Molla. **{No idea.}** "_ She says, though the sounds like she is in a completely different world. But seconds later, she comes right back to the present with an enthusiastic smile on her face. _"Johguna! geulsse, naneun geudeul-i geugeos-eul gajigo issdago hwagsinhanda. **{Alright! Well, I'm sure they have it in while.}** Uliga eodie neoh-eoyahandago saeng-gaghani? **{Where do you think we should put it?}** "_ She pushes the door open and moves right past me.

 _Eom-ma-ya! Igeos-eun il-eonaji anhseubnida. **{Oh my God! This isn't happening.}**_

My eomeoni walks around the room, making motions with her hands that I am assuming is part of her mental diagram. _"Eojjeomyeon ulineun geugeos-eul guseog-e neoh-eul su issseubnida. geugeo gwiyeoulgeoya. **{Maybe we could put it in the corner. That would be cute.}** "_

 _"Eomma, na- **{Mom, I-}** "_

"Or, you know what? We'll get you a brand-new bed. One that's high up. The way we can create a persona little office for you just underneath. We'll get you pens, pencil, some drawing supplies since you told me you like to draw,"

 _"Eomma-"_

 _"Ulineun eeokeon-eul chag-yong hal su iss-eumeulo jilsighaji masibsio. **{We can put in an air conditioner so you don't suffocate.}** Xbox neun eotteohseubnikka? Neo ajigdo bidio geim-eul joh-ahaji, geuleohji? **{And how an Xbox? You still like video games, right?}** Neoneun eolyeoss-eul ttae geudeul-e daehae michyeossda- { **You used to be crazy about them as a child-}** "_

 _"Eomma!"_ I snapped.

She looks at me immediately. I finally have her attention.

 _"Naneun jigeum bappeuda._ _Uli, amado, nado molla, najung-e hal su iss-eulkka? **{I am kind of busy with something right now. Can we, maybe, I don't know, do this later?}** "_

She's speechless. Either that, or she didn't exactly plan on me kicking her out. _"O! Eo, al-ass-eo. Hwagsilhan. Gyesoghagoissneun jung-i ya, jagiya. Naneun banghaehalyeogohaji anh-assda **. {Oh! Uh, okay. Sure. Continue what you were doing, sweetheart. I didn't mean to interrupt.}** "_ She smiles half-heartedly and hurries out the door.

I shut the door behind her and let out a long-held sigh. _"Eosaeghan **{Awkward.}** "_ I go to my bed and pull back the comforter, revealing the outfits once again.

It takes _way_ too long, but I finally decided on which one to wear. The woman in _H &M_ said that the white blouse was called a "ruffled top shoulder" along with a peach colored plain skirt as its pairing. Anyway, it was a bit plain and sort of cute, so I bought with a pair of Pastel Pink Lace-Up Pump Heeled Shoes that are two inches (The only heel I can manage), silver heart earrings and a thin chain bracelet. Even though I am not fond of brightly colored girly clothes like most females love, there are some clothes that are very good for my taste I had to admit.

I quickly pull the brush through my hair one last time. My hair is now completely dried, and as full as ever. I study it in the mirror. _Hm… nae meolileuljaleuljido moleunda. jigeum-eun neomu manh-eun jag-eob-ibnida. **{Hm… I think I might cut my hair. It's way too much work at this point.}**_ I dig through my drawer and pull out a pair of purple scissors. I take a handful of hair just as much as I want to cut off, and bring it right between the two long blades.

I prepare to snap the scissor shut when I look at myself in the mirror again. After some rational thoughts about this, I decided I will do it tomorrow because short hair just wouldn't look good with this outfit. I remove the scissors and place them back in the drawer. _Naeil. Myeonghwaghi. **{Tomorrow. Definitely.}**_

I go to my little night table and open the drawer. I take out the velvet box, open it and remove the Infinity ring. I know it doesn't really go well with the outfit, but I just don't give a damn.

As soon as I finish putting the last of my jewelry, my phone starts vibrating on my bed. I plop down next to it and look at the screen, It's an unknown number, but I have an idea who it might be as I answer the call. "Hello?"

 _"Do as I say, or I will shoot your boyfriend right now."_

I froze in horror, my heartbeat speeding up. I feel myself begin to panic again.

"Myung-hee? Myung-hee." Robert's voice comes onto the phone. " _I think I might've killed her._ Myung-hee, I was kidding."

My cheeks burn with rage and embarrassment. Why should I hold back? "Robert, that was not funny! What the hell is your problem?! Do you know how convincing that sounded?! _Neo nappeun nom-iya, **{You no good bastard,}**_ you scared the hell out of me!" I quietly panted. I forced all that out in a single breath.

I hear him laughing hysterically on the other end of the call. I cannot _believe_ he actually finds that _funny_.

"You're such an asshole. You know that?" I say angrily.

The laughing calms down, and his amused and exhausted voice comes back on. "I may not understand your Korean profanity, but for _that_ I _will_ apologize. I seriously did not think you would react like that."

"Robert, why did you call? Or did you just feel like you're giving me a heart attack?"

"I'm almost at your home. I'm just dropping someone off somewhere right now. Be ready because we're running a little late."

"Alright. Honk when you are outside." I hang up and toss my phone back onto the bed.

I take out of the shoe box, rip off the tags, and slip my feet into them. Perfect fit. I check my recently-manicured pastel pink nails. My mother let me use her credit card, and I never had a manicure before. Any girl would have taken advantage, too.

My phone starts vibrating again. I pick it up, annoyed and answer it without even paying attention to who's calling. "What do you want now?" I say to Robert, but I am very much mistaken.

"Lovely to hear from you too, darling." Tom says.

I blushed from embarrassment. " _Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}**_ I am so sorry, Tom. I thought you were Robert."

"Are you mad at him?"

I sigh. "He's not exactly on my list of favorite people right now. Plus, he pulled a jackass move earlier, so yeah. I'm kind of pissed off at him right now."

"What did he do that was so terrible?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Just forget about it. Not important. How is everything going over there?"

"Not bad. I've been busy with interviews for Thor 2, reading for Only Lovers Left Alive, working on Coriolanus."

"You got the part?" I say excitedly.

"Didn't I mention that?" I can hear the smile in his voice.

" _Eom-ma-ya, **{Oh my god,}** _congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" I smile so widely, he might have just feel it through the phone.

"Thank you." He replies. "Hopefully all will go well. My schedule is getting very packed nowadays."

"I can imagine. Hey… you are going to send me an exclusive clip of Thor 2, right?"

He laughs loudly. That obviously means "lol no". "I'll think about it." He replies.

"Okay." I make it clear that I know he has no intention of doing so. Then I hear a horn twice outside my house. "Alright, I have to go. I have a dinner to get to."

"Yes, Rob told me. So much for a secret relationship."

"I know. Okay, time to go. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

I hang up. Just as I begin to stand up, I am seated again by a slowly forming knot in my stomach. The thought of this, going out with famous people is just now getting me nervous. I am actually _nervous_ about this. Oh, I hope this doesn't screw anything up.

I turn off my lamp and run out of my room, pulling the door shut. I rush down the steps and through the dining room. When I get to the kitchen, I try to ignore my parents as politely as possible ( _if_ that is possible).

 _"Cheoncheonhi hae. **{Slow down.}** "_ My abeoji says with a laugh. _"Naneun dangsin dwie bul-ui gabyeoun heunjeog-eul bon geos gat-ayo. **{I think I see a light trail of fire behind you.}** "_

 _"Ne. seodu leuseyo, jagiya? **{Yeah. What's the rush, sweetheart?}** " _My eomeoni asks. _"Nagalgeoya? **{Are you going out?}** "_

 _"Ye, jeoneun neujge gal geos-ibnida. **{Yes, and I am going to be late**_ **.}** " I speed over to my parents and give them each a kiss on the cheek. _"Jebal geogjeonghaji maseyo. **{Please don't worry about me.}** nae jeonhwagiga wanjeonhi chungjeon dwaess-eo. boan-i chungbunhan sigdang-e galgeoya. **{My phone's fully charged, I am going to a restaurant with plenty of security.}** Geuligo geogieiss-eul nyeoseog-eun WWE leseulleoboda deo manh-eun geun-yug-eul gajil geos-ibnida. Gwaenchanh-a annyeong! **{And the guys that'll be there will have more muscle than a WWE wrestler. Okay, bye!}** "_ I run to the door.

 _"Yaedeul a? Mwolagu? **{Guys? What guys?}** "_ My eomeoni says.

 _"Gei chingudeul, eomma! **{Gay friends, mom!}** "_ I lie on the way out. I exit the house before either of them could say anything else about the subject.

Once I'm outside, I unlock my cellphone and open the Chase app to make sure everything is set up. When my eomeoni gave me her credit card, I downloaded the app and entered the card number. I guess habits never die.

Someone or somewhere in the dark, whistles loudly. When I look up, I see Robert poking his head out of the window of a dark red Lamborghini at the end of the driveway. " _Eom-ma-ya **. {Oh my god.}**_ " I stare at the car in awe as I make my way towards it. "That _car_." I say. "You're going to give me that car, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Right after I give you my private jet."

I headed for the passenger's door, and pops it open for me. At first I think the door is automatic, but then I see Robert moving back into his seat. I open the door wider and plop down on the seat. Not a bit lady-like, I know, but when was the last time I _did_ act lady-like? I close the door. "It was my birthday, you know. I can consider it your late birthday present to me."

"When was your birthday?" he asks.

I hesitate before answering. "December thirty-first."

"Ha! Yeah, um, no. doesn't count. That was before I met you. Try again next year."

 _Jogeumdo. Geulsse, geuleol gachigaiss-eo. **{Damn. Well, it was worth a shot.}**_ Suddenly, I feel the need to listen to music. Unfortunately, I left my earphones at home. I look around the front seat, wondering if he might have some. "Hey, do you have any earphones I can borrow? I left mine at home."

"Uh…" He glances at the space behind our seats. "I think my son might've left his in the back. Go ahead and look if you want."

I twist around and search the back. It's too dark to see anything clearly, so I squint and stress my vision.

Finally, something blue right behind Robert's seat catches my attention. It can't be the earbud kind. They are too much big for that. I reach back and grab something cool, almost like metal. When I bring it to the front as I smile while examining them. "Wireless Beats." I say, nodding my head with approval. "Nice."

"Oh, that's his old pair. I was looking for those."

I connect them with the phone. After a few seconds, it tells me they are successfully connected. I put them on, and they fit over my ears perfectly. I open my music, click on a playlist and _Tonight_ by Big Bang starts playing. My eyes widen. The clarity of the music is phenomenal, and they're so comfortable.

I'm lost deep in the music when I feel someone tap on the headphones. I push them back, and they fall around my neck. I look at Robert.

"I asked you if you like them." He says.

"They are amazing. How much were they?"

"Two hundred."

That's when I decided Beats will never be a possibility for me. _"O. Uwa. **{Oh. Wow.}** "_

I see him glance at me in my peripheral vision. "Keep 'em'." He says.

"What?" It surprises me how easily he can say _"keep the two-hundred-dollar pair of Beats by Dre."_

"Take 'em. Indio can't say anything. I bought him a new set of the same kind not too long ago."

"Why would you buy him another pair if you knew he had one already?"

"I didn't. He bought _those_ on his own. I found out about the blue ones _after_ he made me buy a pair of black ones."

"Did he give you a reason _why_ , at least?"

"He didn't like the color."

Right there is where I face-palmed myself mindedly. _Geuneun saegkkal-i ma-eum-e deulji anh-assseubnida. Neo nongdam ya. **{He didn't like the color. You have got to be kidding me.}**_ _Geudeul-eun Beats! Saegsang-eul joibnida. geunyang ib damulgo gajyeoga! **{They're Beats! Screw the color. Just shut up and take them!}**_

We actually ended up having a nice conversation throughout the rest of the car ride. We talked about our favorite music, stories of old memories, good movies. He forced me to choose a _favorite_ movie. He didn't realize how hard a decision that would be when he asked. How can he make me choose one out of a million? Eventually, I gave in and said _Ella Enchanted_. One, it was the first thing that came into mind. Two, it was a good choice because it holds my favorite scene of all time. It was the scene where Ella sings her heart out 'somebody to love' in front of every giants including Prince Charmont and Slanen. The intensity of that moment gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.

Soon Robert is turning into the parking lot of a huge restaurant with the word "KUJAKU" on the front. He looks around for a good parking space.

"Robert… I can't afford this." I say to him. I have seen Kujaku's menus, they are expensive as hell. "I am using my mother's credit card."

"Don't worry about it. I agreed to pay for tonight."

I raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

He shrugs. "Yeah. I mean, I'm the only one besides Tom that knows your money problem."

"Well… um. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He pulls into a space only slightly wider than the car itself. He puts the car in park and turns it off. He looks at me. "Ready to do this?"

The nervous feeling overcomes me again. I take a deep, audible breath. "No… but yes. Let's go."

We open our doors and step out of the car. We both throw them closed at the same time, and we head for the entrance to the Japanese restaurant.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

* **Robert Downey, Jr.** as Himself

* **Gwyneth Paltrow** as Herself

* **Chris Hemsworth** as Himself

* **Chris Evans** as Himself

* **Scarlett Johansson** as Herself

* **Cobie Smulders** as Herself

* **Mads Mikkelsen** as Himself

* **Jessica Alba** as Herself

* **Stellan Skarsgård** as Himself

* * *

 **Chapter XVII: Um… Maybe Later.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

I have been sitting at this table for ten minutes, and I haven't had to say a single word to anyone. This is good. This might not be so bad after all. You know, once I get past the fact that every seat other than my own is occupied by a celebrity. I didn't even bother to look at all their faces. The only ones I know of are Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Hemsworth (who's sitting on my left), and Robert (the annoying asshole on my right).

While all of them are wrapped up in a mindless conversation amongst each other, I stare off into a distant world called my imagination. I watch myself sitting in the Pit of the mall, crisscross position with a notebook on my thigh. My earphones are plugged into my phone, and… no. _My Beats_ are connected to my phone, and _Miracles in December_ by Exo goes on in my ears. My hand flies across the college-ruled paper, the pen frantically scribbling down the words that flow from my heart. I look so… at _peace_. I seem content. And happy. Why I haven't tried this before?

The entire image vanishes in an instant when somebody waves their hand in front of my face.

I look up with the most and confused expression on my face. "Eh? What?"

Everyone's eyes are on me, staring as if they expect me to do a trick.

I look around, not sure what the hell is going on. "I didn't do something stupid, did I?" I feel my face slowly beginning to get warmer.

"No." Robert answer. "Chris just wanted to know where you work."

After he finishes, it's dead quiet at the table.

I look at Chris, next to me and answer him. "Um, Stamford High School." I figured since I know more about the school than the damn principal, it would be easy to play it off.

Chris smiles. "Wrong Chris." He points to someone across the table.

"Eh?" I raise my eyebrows surprised. When I look, I immediately blush. It wasn't Chris _Hemsworth_ asked. It was Chris _Evans_. "I. um… I guess that's strike one on names for me."

Everyone laughs quietly at my comment. Judging by how much of it. There are more people here than I originally thought.

I clearly my throat nervously. "But um, yes. Same answer. Stamford High School."

"Oh, what do you do?" Scarlett (as in Jo-freaking-hansson) asks me.

"Um. _T_ -tutoring. I tutor students after classes in the school library."

"What subject?" Evans asks.

I shrug. "Math, English, Music, Creative Writing and Foreign Languages: Japanese, Chinese and mostly Korean."

"You speak those languages?" Evans asks again with amazement.

"Yeah. Of course, I _was_ born in an Asian continent." I smiled at him.

"And music?" Gwyneth says excitedly. "What do you play?"

"I sing."

A bunch of fascinated "oohs" rise around the table.

 _O Ileon, i salamdeul-eun swibge nollabda. Naneun geudeul-ui ban-eung-i jeongmallo pil-yohadago geoui saeng-gaghaji anhneunda. **{My God, these people are easily amazed. I hardly think that their reaction was really necessary.}**_

"Will you be singing something for us tonight?" Gwyneth jokes (I'm hoping).

"Um… maybe later. I don't think I should disrupt these people's conversations."

They spend quite some time getting to know me; it feels more like an interrogation, realy. Then again, that's _always_ how I feel when I am being asked a lot of questions. They are mostly casual, of course, but that still doesn't mean I _like_ it. Then they hit me with the complicated question.

"Where'd you go to college, Myung-hee?" Cobie Smulders asks me.

I grab my glass of water and take a very long sip to buy me some time to think of an answer. _Neoui ma-eum-e gajang meonjeo tteooleuneun geos, Myung-hee. **{Go with the first thing that comes to your mind, Myung-hee.}**_ I set my glass down and wipe the corner of my mouth with my thumb. "Berklee." I reply. _Jenjang! Naneun NCCe mal haess-eoyahaessda! i munjeleul haegyeolhasibsio! **{Damn it! I should have said NCC! Fix this!}** _"Or," I blurt out before any question about it is asked. Realizing how badly I lost my calm, I clear my throar (like that's going to cover it up). "Or… at least. I _want_ to graduate from there. I haven't been able to apply. Money problems. Getting the education you want is a struggle now-a-days." _Sesang-e, geu manghal eumsig-eun eodi issni? Naneun yeogiseo jilsig-e gakkabda. **{My goodness, where the damn food? I'm near in suffocation out here.}**_

"Berklee?" Hemsworth says. "The one in California?"

"I think she means the College of Music."

That voice, that heavily-accented Danish, catches my attention in a split second. I turn my head to the direction it came from.

Sitting only two seats away from me is the Mads. Mikkelsen.

 _"Sin-ui Geolughan Eomeoni. **{Holy Mother of God.}** "_ I say automatically. As soon as the last word leaves my mouth. I cover it with both my hands. I look around with a panicky expression on my face, which only adds to the craziness of my current image.

Everyone watches with creeped-out looks of confusion.

My eyes widen as an owl, I begin my recovery before bad impressions are made. Maybe I should try… honesty. Just a little bit. I bowed a biy hysterically to Mikkelsen and the rest of the celebrity people in front of me. " _Jeongmal mianhae_ —I mean—I am so sorry. I… um. I-I don't exactly have dinner with favorite actors every day. It, it just slipped out." I can feel my cheeks burning already. Great. That sounded like I was kissing up to them.

I receive silent giggles a reply. I wonder if they even _remember_ what it was like to be a hardcore fan of something or someone.

"Don't even worry about it." Jessica Alba says. "Sometimes, I feel like _I'm_ still getting used to it."

"Yeah." Hemsworth agrees. "Hell, I'm still waiting for the day I meet Jack Nicholson."

"And I would love to meet Victoria Justice." Scarlett jumps in. "I think her voice is _amazing_."

"And me meeting the Korean boy band's _Big Bang_." Evans also jumps in. "I would be _so_ hyped if I ever meet _G Dragon_ or _T.O.P_. Are you a fan of that band? Since you are a Korean, right?"

I nod with a smile. "Yes. I am a major fan of Big Bang. They are honestly _the Legends of Kpop_. I tell you."

"Oh Yeah." He nodded with a grin. "The best song I love the most is 'Fantastic Baby'."

"Oh me too." I excitedly smiled more. "Do you know G-Dragon's insane song "Crayon"?

He laughed. "Oh yeah. That song is _dope_."

"God, you two are such a bunch of hardcore fans of Kpop. I can imagine Elsa would do the same if she's here talking about that." Hemsworth chuckled at us.

After I was done chatting with Chris about the famous Korean boy band. My mind was lost at the moment. Hearing these confessions changed my thoughts of these people quite a bit. I have no reason to be jealous of or hate celebrities. My idea of then was that they believed themselves to be above us, above those who don't get love from all around the world almost every day. Maybe they really are "just humans." They just get paid more than the rest of us do.

While I was putting all this together, I hadn't even realized our dishes were being served. Some took a couple more minutes to finish what they were saying. Others just dug right in without another word.

I didn't really do either of those. I took my time by my own choice.

"How are you doing, Little Myu-Myu?" Robert asks me quietly. "Not still worrying about the outburst, are you?"

"You didn't tell me Mads Mikkelsen really was here."

"I didn't know. Apparently Stellan brought him. And I'm _glad_ we didn't know. That reaction was _priceless_."

I clench my teeth and kick the side of his leg hard. Thanks to my early two years of training in _Jujutsu_ , my fists and feet can do anything hard like I recently did now with this _asshole_.

He grunts with pain, yet still manages to keep a straight face. He casually reaches down and rubs the spot I kicked.

"Screw you." I say low enough that no one but Robert can hear.

As I eat my sushi with the chopsticks quietly, I keep my sight on the table. I don't want to talk anymore. I have a strong twisting feeling of guilt in my stomach right now. I am here trying to befriend these people and let them get to know me, and I am straight up _lying_ to them. I can't help that, obviously. They don't even know they are dining with a _seventeen_ -year-old. But that doesn't mean I have to feel _okay_ about it. They are so much kinder than I expected. And not all of them are "care-free" as I would having _actual problems_. Family problems, living space problems, problems with finding other jobs. I never thought I would hear an actor say something like that. It's strange and… sort of cool.

All that's left for me to do now is survive until the end of the night.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Main Character in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

 _ **Minor Character in the Story:**_

* **Robert Downey, Jr.** as Himself

* **Gwyneth Paltrow** as Herself

* **Chris Hemsworth** as Himself

* **Chris Evans** as Himself

* **Scarlett Johansson** as Herself

* **Cobie Smulders** as Herself

* **Mads Mikkelsen** as Himself

* **Jessica Alba** as Herself

* **Stellan Skarsgård** as Himself

* **Natalie Portman** as Herself

* * *

 **Chapter XVIII: I Am Just Going To Head Home.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

I take a long sip of my pepsi as I tap at my cellphone's keyboard. I am careful to keep out of sight; I don't want them to think I'm rude. I had gotten a text from Tom a few minutes ago, and now that I have a chance to reply, it's taking me _forever_. I am trying to type with one thumb to seem more subtle, and it is _the_ most difficult task for me.

"It seems like someone's getting bored over here." Robert says _out loud_.

 _You no good bastard!_ I drop my phone onto my lap and look up. I set my drink down quickly, the heat rushing into my cheeks. " _Eom-ma-ya! **{Oh my god!}** Ani-yo! **{No!}**_ No, I am not. I am sorry. I was just answering a text."

"Leave her alone, Rob." Scarlett says in my defense. "She was probably just texting Tom." She smiles at me and winks.

I smile back, relieved, as a thank-you to her. I feel like I just unintentionally became friends with Scarlett Johansson… Cool.

"I was just messing with her. I felt like we were leaving her out of the conversation, so I pulled her right in." he shrugs like what he did is what anyone would do.

I roll my eyes. "Thank you." I say and I mean it. I was feeling a _little_ left out. "Actually, it was Tom. He was checking to see how I am doing, and he told me to tell everyone he said 'Hello'."

"That's so sweet of him." Natalie (Portman) says. "By the way, how did you two meet?"

Now _this_ is question that I will happily answer. I drink a little more soda to calm my nerves. Everyone's now staring at me. Again. I softly clear my throat. "Well…" I think about the first time we met, figuring out to slightly adjust or modify as I tell them. "I had volunteered to help with Stamford High's school newspaper. They needed someone to interview a famous celebrity… Of course, _I_ didn't know who it was. And I thought the teacher running the paper was referring to a Broadway actor or something." _Uwa, naega mwolagu? **{Wow, was I off or what?}**_ I take a second to look around.

They are all so interested in such a well-revised story. It is kind of worrying.

"Anyway, I'm at the hotel, waiting for this mystery actor. I turned around to go sit against the wall while I waited-"

"Why against the wall?" Hemsworth asks. "Weren't there benches?"

"Well, I had not seen the nearest bench at the time, so the wall seemed like the most comfortable place… So maybe a few minutes of waiting, I decided to stand up and well, give up thinking that I was being ditched until I turned around… and I got bumped right into someone in front of me. Sent me down to the ground almost a bit hard. I open my eyes, and then there's Tom, on his knees and leaning over me, asking me if I am okay. It was the kindest, most handsome face I have ever seen. I couldn't even feel the pain from the fall anymore."

"That's so adorable." Gwyneth comments.

I shrug. "I guess." What else do I say? I did not find it adorable. It was pretty embarrassing for me. "He helped me up, and I was complete mess from there. I was stumbling over words and sentences a _lot_. But he didn't mind. He laughed, actually. Giggled. Smiled. Made me giggle, made me smile. I was not the type to do that very often before I met Tom. Now, because of him, there's not another day that passes without me smiling about something." I stare off into space as I speak, the image of Tom that day of the interview in my brain. The heavenly glow of the sunlight around him, his perfectly-chiseled features, his bright blue-green eyes; I don't forger a single detail. It's all there, every single bit of him, as it's always been.

"To Myung-hee and Tom." Robert says, tugging me from my thoughts. "They truly are made for each other." He raises his glass up to his eye-level. For once, since I met him, he said something kind and sincere. At least, I _hope_ it was kind and sincere. I can't really tell with him.

As for the rest of the guests, they all raise their glasses up to the same height, all for me. I am not exactly sure what I did to deserve it, but I didn't necessarily _dislike_ it.

I hesitantly raise my own glass as well. All drinks lightly clink and clash together, then everyone take a sip at almost the same time.

Once that's over, and everyone pays their part of the bill, we get up and put on our coats. I don't know what they have planned next, but I hope it has something to do with going _home_.

We all leave the restaurant, pouring out door and gathering together next to the entrance. A few people have gotten their cigarettes and lighter, passing some to those who need one.

"So what now?" Stellan says, the last of us to leave the restaurant.

"How about a bar? I saw one down the street on the way here." Mads points in the direction he's referring to.

 _O, Ani-yo. **{Oh, no.}**_ "I-"

"Sounds good." I-don't-know-who agrees.

"It's settled, then." Hemsworth says happily. "Let's go get some drinks."

I breathe out a heavily sigh. "Alright. You guys can go on without me. I will just… I am going to head home." I forced a smile even though this really bums me out. I finally am having a bit of fun, and I hit a damn limit. _Great_.

"Aw, no!" Gwyneth whines. "You have to come with us. I'll even buy you a drink if I have to."

 _Yeah, that's if I were able to set in that place._

"She can't." Robert answers for me.

I decided to back him up. "Yeah. He's right. I have a few things to get it done for tomorrow."

"Oh, they can wait a few minutes!"

"Gwyn." Robert's getting a little annoyed. He walks over to her and whispers something into her ear.

Suddenly, realization crosses her face. She covers her mouth and blushes a light red. "Oh my God, I completely forgot." She giggles into her hand. "Go on, Myung-hee. I completely understand."

No one else seems to mind, or argue about the subject (I'm not quite sure how to take it) they are just waiting patiently for a final decision.

"Bye, guys." I wave to all of them and smiled kindly. After receiving a bunch of friendly good-byes in return, I turn around and walk away in the other direction.

I had not even covered twelve inches of the ground before Robert suddenly appears next to me. I guess he doesn't really have a choice here. He's my ride home.

"Just open the car from here." I say to him. I am starting to feel guilty about having to cut his night short. "I will grab my stuff and head home."

"Uh, no you won't. I drove you here, so I'm driving you home."

"Really, it's not a problem. I don't mind walking, especially in a nice weather like this." I look up and around, admiring how beautiful the colorful buildings and their lights are tonight.

"You might as well just get in the car. There's absolutely no point in arguing with me. Ask my wife." When we approach the car, he unlocks it, opens the driver's door and slides in. he raises his eyebrows at me right before shutting the door.

I groan and walk around the passenger's side. I get in a bit lazily.

"So, what do you like to do?" He asks me randomly. "For fun, I mean."

I shrug my shoulders, not really sure what to answer with. I decided to tell him my most favorite hobby. "I don't know. I like to write."

"Hm. You're passionate about that?"

"I guess."

"On a scale of one to ten."

I look at him as if he's gone crazy. "I don't know! Seven? Eight?"

"Alright."

 _Alright? What the hell? Was there a purpose to that, or does he just like being weird and random?_ "May I ask what that was for?"

He nods his head. "Nope."

I now give him my "What the hell" look. "So you just like to know my personal information for no reason at all." I cross my arms over my chest.

"No. I have a reason. I'm just not telling you. Just enjoy the ride. You'll have your answer when we get there."

"Fine. As long as you don't take me to any stupid-ass kids' places."

"Well, damn. Now I'll have to find someplace else." The sarcasm in his voice is as plain as it can be. "Anyway, about dinner. Is that really how you met Tom? I mean, was _all_ of that the truth?"

"Yes sir. All expect the 'volunteered' part. It was a mandatory that I did that interview. My class grades were at stake."

"Uh-huh. So they black-mailed you into doing the paper."

"Yes."

"That's a little unfair."

"Yes."

"And you had no say in it?"

"No."

"Huh. That's fucked up."

"You're telling _me_."

He spends the rest of the ride telling me about what some of the people said about me at dinner. Most of them definitely like me, complimenting me on my _usual_ doll-like face, my hair and personality (apparently "I'm sweet"). Others… well, they are a little suspicious of me, especially my age. They said I looked a little too young. Honestly, they can go screw off because I don't give a damn. Robert tells me Gwyneth might have forgotten my age because she had a little more than enough wine with her meal.

I am not sure when (I wasn't really paying attention), but we end up driving through the shopping center, past Hallmark and Party City. He takes a right and drives to the other of the center.

"Why are we here? Unless you are planning to have me killed here or something."

"I wouldn't do that. I have no reason to hurt such a good person like Tom."

"Oh. How… sweet?" that comment was not very surprising for me, knowing by now who _he is_.

 _At last_ , he parks somewhere and shuts the car off. He gets out and throws his door shut. I do the same, making sure I didn't leave a single valuable object in his car. I know how often things are stolen here in the center, from cars and stores.

"What are you doing for your birthday, Little Myu-Myu?" he asks me as we begin to walk. I am assuming he is just trying to pass the time.

"A little celebration." I reply. "My parents are going to get me a cake, sing me a Korean version of 'Happy Birthday'. Then talk to Tom on Face-Time for a while."

"Wow. That sounds really… _boring_."

"I don't think so. I enjoy myself more when everything is low-key. _And_ my parents are practically making it a Do-Whatever-You-Want day for me. It's your opinion."

It's silent for a moment, raising my hopes that I won't have to continue this conversation anymore. But that was useless, because a second later, Robert says. "How do you expect to feel to be seventeen? Soon I won't be able to call you Little Myu-Myu anymore."

"That's true. Hey. Why don't you start practicing now? I mean, so you are ready when the time comes."

"Not happening." He smirks. "But that was a nice try. Good job."

"Asshole."

"So I've been told."

We enter through the sliding doors of… Staples? "Why are we at Staples?"

"All these _questions_. Do you _have_ to know everything?"

"I am sorry. I forgot we have only known each other for barely a month now. I should totally trust someone I barely _know_! _Of course_!"

"Alright! Fine! I see your point. Just, just shut up and go along with it. Goodness." He starts heading to the school supplies section. "All I want to do is make up for being an ass."

I froze where I am. I listen to his words again in my head, just a little bit shocked… and I am kind of bored. Let's exaggerate a little. "This an apology?" I say to him a little bit louder than necessary. "Robert Downey, Jr. is _apologizing_ to me? This is amazing!"

"Okay, now _you're_ annoying me. Yes, I'm apologizing. Don't get so _excited_ about it."

I laugh. I am satisfied with my revenge knowing that I managed to get _some_ kind of reaction from him. My laughter wears off quickly, leaving a kind, amused smile on my face. "In all of seriousness, though, thank you. I appreciate and accept your apology."

"Thank you. Now pick some notebooks."

I give him a confused look. "Eh?" I say, clueless.

He points to a shelf right in front of him.

I look to my right to see what he is talking about.

Unbelievably, there's not one shelf, but three shelves perfectly and evenly lined with various colored notebooks, all one-subject or more. It reaches all the way from one end of the aisle to the other, and there are so many different artistic designs. I am definitely going to have a good time choosing from them.

I… am in… a trance.

"Myung-hee?" Robert says. When he doesn't get an answer with a little more volume to his voice. "Myung-hee… Myung-hee…" Still nothing, he waves his hand up and down in front of my face, palm centimeters from my nose. "Athena. _Hello_."

"I am _thinking_!" I snapped at him all of a sudden.

"What the—sorry. Jesus."

I instantly feel bad about doing that. I honestly had no idea. It would come out that way. "I am sorry. That was an accident."

"It's fine. You're hypnotized. I get it." I can hear the amused smile in his voice now.

"You have no idea." I reply.

It takes me a few minutes too long, but I finally choose the two notebooks I loved the most. I grab one off the top shelf (Ceramic Blue background with a blue-and-white cherry blossom floral branch) and one from the middle shelf, just underneath the cherry blossom one (Wooden Brown background with a gold-and-white lily floral). I am a bit much of a flower person, but the only flowers I love are cherry blossoms and water lilies. They're perfect, even as I look inside them to see if they are college-ruled. They must have put these kind of notebooks on the shelves; I have never seen them in Staples before.

"Great. You found the ones you like." Robert's comment made me jump just a tiny bit from surprise. He's been so quiet. I thought he would have walked away or something by now.

"Yes. They are exactly what I need."

"I'm glad they are. How about some pens? Tom had mentioned, one time, something about your 'pen preferences' for writing."

"What did he do? Go over my every damn detail?"

"Either that, or he was talking about some _other_ woman with a doll-like face, has the cutest height about slightly less than five foot, maybe about _five point three_ and almost looks like a little girl." He leaves the aisles out the same side we entered through.

I roll my eyes. _Geuneun geugeos-eul mandeul-eossseubnida. Ama jeonyeog sigsa ttae mwongabwass-eulgeoya._ **_{He made that up. He probably just saw it at dinner or something.}_** _Gedaga, nae kiga geuleohge jjalbjineun anhseubnida. Naya? **{Besides, my height is not that short. Do I?}**_

After looking around for a second, he finally moves somewhere that's _definitely_ out of my sight.

But… only because I want to be sure, I quickly check my height by staying beside the pole that was near the store by putting my hand on the top of my head. As I calculate the measurements carefully then finally, I got the answer. "Holy shit." I whisper. On my height, exactly where he said it is, that I am a five point three foot teenage girl. It's no surprising that Korean females such as myself are slightly short.

 _Tom eun-i mulgeon-e gwanhaeseo deo jal iyagihaneun geos-eul deo jal meomchugeona, naneun geuleul mueongaga "mikkeuleojige hal" geos-ibnida. **{Tom better stop sharing this stuff about, or I will let something "slip" about him.}**_

Our very-minor shopping trip ends as quickly as it started, and I am headed towards Robert's car with a plastic bag filled with notebooks and a few packs of excellent pens.

"I'm considering this your early present to me. You know that, right?"

"Consider it whatever. I really don't care." He gets into the driver's seat.

As soon as I'm in the car, it roars to life. "I like you, Robert." I say happily (and a bit surprised at myself for saying it). "You are a pretty chill guy."

"Chill?" He repeats, making it sound like a question.

"Chill. As in 'cool'? Please tell me you have heard that before."

He shrugs carelessly. "I've heard it now." He turns the car on and drives out the parking lot. Before I know it, he's zooming down the empty street.

I pull out my cellphone; there are two messages from Tom I accidentally missed. I didn't feel even feel my phone vibrate. As I slide the lock screen to the right, I catch a glimpse of the time at the top of my screen. _Yeoldu sikka ji? Eom-ma-ya. eotteohge segyeeseo geuleon il-i il-eo nassseubnikka? **{Twelve-o-nine? Oh my God. How in the world did that happen?}** Naega majimag-eulo hwag-inhan geos-eun sib jeom-ieossseubnida. **{It was ten –something last time I checked it.}**_

"Since you brought up the subject of birthdays, what did you do for Tom's birthday? He told me you sent him a super-belated gift."

I heard his question but I am distracted by what I am doing on my phone. I saw a preview of one of my texts, and now I am too curious to wait. I open the first unread text:

 _I just watched the birthday video again._

I smile. According to him, he's watched that video multiple times.

"You gonna answer me?" Robert asks me.

I open the second one, and I blush until my face burns. I cover my mouth to hide my almost perfectly teeth-flashing smile. It's the picture of me in a pink-black polka dot sleeveless lingerie blouse with a lace underwear (very similar to Hatsune Miku's lingerie in her music video, 'Romeo & Cinderella'). I had put at the end of the video, the words "Happy Birthday" in a highly-decorative font across the top of the image. It was the only selfie I took the time to take for the slide show. Underneath the message is a wide-eyed surprised emoticon from Tom with a little red heart next to it. I close the app and set the phone face-down on my lap. I sigh loudly, hopefully breathing my nervous laughter out into the air. I clear my throat as I feel it tighten.

"Nothing special." I say to Robert.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

 ***Jake T. Austin** as Michael De Soto

 _ **Minor Characters in the Story:**_

 ***Brenna D'Amico** as Marilyn Rivera

 ***Michael Nyqvist** as Mr. Hughes

* * *

 **Chapter XIX: And Go Where, Exactly?**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

I have spent the past fifteen minutes of English class zoning out and playing around with my ring. The light keeps glinting off the blue surface of the gem, and it distracts me more than it should. It really is beautiful. I can't believe I am lucky enough to be its owner. I just find it so _fascinating_. I glance at it from time to time as I work on my little desk- drawing. It's Pikachu from _Pokemon_. I love this cute little one as much as I love Jiggly puff, Rowlet and mostly, the adorable Mimikyu.

"Athena." I ignore the voice. It's probably one of my stupid classmates trying to make fun of me again. I continue to work on L.S.P's arms. I am mostly good at drawing chibis. They always come out very cute.

 _"Athena!"_ they whisper again, more demanding this time.

"Yeah?" I reply loudly and mindlessly. I finish off one of the arms as quickly as possible, then look at the person trying to catch my attention.

Michael is giving me a wide-eyed look and nodding his head towards the front of the classroom.

I turn my head in that direction; my English teacher is staring at me, along with a good percentage of the class. He raises his eyebrows, clearly annoyed with me. Then again, when is he not?

I blush light red, my face heating up from the pressure of being put on the spot like this. I set my pencil down on the desk and redirect my attention to the teacher.

"Thank you." he says, and it just makes me want to punch him. Everyone in this damn class talks and ignores him, and he only calls _me_ out _every time_.

I hear Michael laughing next to me, and I playfully hit him on his arm. It doesn't faze his amusement, but he does stop laughing about it. "Bored?" he asks me even though the answer's pretty clear.

I nod my head lazily and rub the drowsiness out of my eyes. It's already been four classes since the day started, and I am _still_ exhausted. I stayed up late talking to Marilyn. I should not have done that. Now I feel like I am going to pass out.

 _"Athena."_ My teacher says, demanding my attention.

"Oh my God, Mr. Hughes! I am _paying attention_!" I glare at him. He's really getting on my nerves.

"It doesn't seem like it."

"Well, I don't need my eyes to hear you, so I don't know why you are calling me out."

"Because I'm teaching, and you're falling asleep? Or is that not rude to you?" he's lowered his book to his hip, which means _shit_ is quickly escalating.

"And what if I don't?" I lean back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. I am not looking to lose this fight just because my teacher wants to be an asshole.

"Another word and I'm calling security."

"You won't sir." Someone says. I think it came from J.J, the class instigator that always sits in the back with the _other_ annoying people.

"You don't think so?" He answers J.J. He then returns his attention to me. He gives me a cold stare, challenging me to see if he just might do it.

I look at Michael, and he shakes his head "no" as subtly as possible.

Finally out of the corner of my eye, I see Mr. Hughes raise his book back to his regular height. He slides a hand into his pocket and continues pacing across the front of the classroom as usual, _"Ridiculous."_ I hear him whisper almost inaudibly. _Almost_.

I hold down my anger as it twists my stomach around. I lick my lips, my tongue tingling with the urge to fight back. Michael's bits of advice have been keeping me under control lately. _"It's not worth it."_ he would probably say that. But, as soon as he looks back down at his book, I turn my attention to Mr. Hughes. _"Bullshit."_ I say, brave and loud.

In a speedy five minutes, I am being escorted down the hall by my favorite security guard, Barry. He's the first person I see when I get to school in the morning. But that's just because he's permanently posted by the school's front door to keep a close eye on the main entrance hall.

"What happened, now?" He asks. He looks at me through his dark, translucent black shades.

I just shrug. "I started rubbing my eyes a little, and he started yelling at me to stop falling asleep." I readjusted my bag as it tries to slip off my shoulder.

"So why am I bringing you to the office?" He raises an eyebrow at me. "I know you're leaving something out."

We turn left into the staircase and headed down to the next floor. "He told me if I said one more word, he will kick me out. So I said, 'Bullshit." And well, here I am."

He starts laughing his deep friendly laugh. I like that about him. Barry doesn't get mad, or angry. He just laughs everything right off. He is probably one of the mellowest guys I know. "Why tryin' to drove that man insane? He didn't do nothing to you."

"He is always blowing up my spot for no reason " Even though I whispered that, it was loud enough to echo through the stairwell. I lower my voice; no need to draw attention. "I could be hearing a million conversations going on around me, and he would still call me out, for like sneezing or something."

"So? As long as you know you weren't talkin', it doesn't really _matter_."

I groan, annoyed. I hate being told to just sit back and take other people's advice. It's not in my nature to be that way.

After passing about three other floors, we finally make it to the very end of the staircase. "This is _not_ the right floor. The main office on the first floor." I quickly analyze our surroundings. "This is the fifth floor, Barry."

"I know." He pulls a little white notecard out of his back pocket. It's the one my teacher wrote his stupid complaint on. Barry tears the card in half, holding out in front of him so I can see it clearly.

"You are letting me go?" I say, surprised. It came out more as a question than a casual statement.

He sighs. "Yeah, I guess." He is definitely unsure of his decision (as if he shouldn't be). He knows it will happen again, so he probably knows this is a mistake. Still, he crumples up the ripped notecard pieces and shoves them into a pocket inside his jacket.

"You are _officially_ my favorite security guard." That seems like a bit of a lie tome. He was already my favorite security guard even _before_ he decided to do this for me.

"You lyin'." He replies. It's the same thing he says to everyone _else_ that compliments him and claims him as their favorite. But we all know he's flattered. He just shows it with either sarcasm or sass.

I give him a friendly smile as a thank-you.

He returns the favor kindly. It's a little shocking because he hardly ever does something like that. "Alright. Get out of here before I change my mind." He turns away from me and starts up the steps.

I start walking in the opposite direction.

~o~

"So I heard you got kicked out of class third period." Marilyn says. She sits down across from me, setting her bag down next to her chair.

"How the hell did you hear that?" I ask as I write. I need to finish this last paragraph, and I will finally be finished.

"Barry told me. I was talking to him last period, and he mentioned that he saw you."

I try not to give a reaction of any kind. _Geunyang duse munjang deo. Eoseo {Just a couple more sentences. Come on.}_ Suddenly, words stop flowing onto the paper, and my hand is frozen in place. _Ani. Ani. Ani-yo! Gyeong-oe, eoseo! Naneun han munjang nam-assseubnida! Joh-a, eum ... **{No. No. No! Awe, come on! I have one sentence left! Okay, um…}** Ttalaseo Song Woo-bin-_ _jogeumdo. Jalmosdoen munja. Geuleomeulo Tsukasa Doumyouji… eum… **{Therefore, Song Woo-bin—damn. Wrong character. Therefore, Tsukasa Doumyouji… uh…}**_

"What are you doing, anyway?" Marilyn breaks the silence again. I hear a metal button click open.

I set my pen down in defeat. I might as well take a break; my mind's not doing anything for me. I cross my arms over my stomach and sit back in my chair. "I _was_ writing an _essay_." The tone in my voice is equally as annoyed.

"Oh God. I am so sorry. I'm interrupting, aren't I?" Her head had shot up from her bag. She has the most fearful expression on her face that made me feel terrible.

"No, no. It had nothing to do with you." I use a calm voice this time. I don't want her to think I stopped what I was doing because of her. "I was pretty kick-ass roll. Now my mind's drawing a big sheet of blank."

"Oh. That really sucks. Is that the essay due for Englush?"

I give her curious look. "Yeah. How did you know that?"

"You told me _this_ morning." She answers casually. She makes it sound as if it should be so obvious. But as soon as she sees my still-confused face, she understands that I really _don't_ know what she is talking about. "In class?" She tries to remind me.

I am still confused, and I am sure I still look that way too.

"It was the first period, Thena." Finally, she just gives up trying to make me remember. She pulls an iPad with a bright pink leather case out of her bag, along with a bright pink keyboard to match. "I guess it's normal for someone not to remember something like that. I mean, it _was_ five periods ago."

While she's talking to me. I am scanning and digging through my mind for that particular memory. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing comes up as a result, and it aggravates me. I let out an annoyed, prolonged groan and (so very lightly!) drop my head forward onto the table. "To be honest, I can hardly remember anything from before the halfway point of the last period." My voice was muffled by the table top an inch from my lips, but I am pretty positive Marilyn heard me.

And she definitely did. "Were you that tired today?"

"Today, yesterday, Tusday, Monday, Sunday, all of last week." I lift my head up from the table and look at her through half-closed eyelids. "I'm a freaking zombie."

"That… would be awesome. But not on your part. Is everything alright?"

I straighten up perfectly, but I have no strength to keep up the proper posture. I end up dropping into a slightly slouch posture and I am rewarded with that oh-so-wonderful pain in my back. "Just peachy." Is all I can manage to say right now.

"It's nothing between and you." She leans forward. " _Tom_ , right?" she whispers his name as though it is a lethal thing to say. Actually, now that I think about it, probably _is_ lethal around here.

I nod my head in response. "No. It has nothing to do with us. Or maybe it does. I do not even know. I just haven't…" Feeling drowsy again, I lean my face into my hands to hide a huge yawn. As soon as it's over, I continue with what I was saying. "I haven't been sleeping too well. I have no idea why."

"Are you nervous about something? Or stressed, maybe?" She seems to be trying to come up with a reason for my lack of sleep. It's nice that she is doing it, but I doubt she will be able to find anything. "Or maybe you're just eager to get to England! I know I would be."

"It can't be nervousness, or eagerness. Those kinds of things never really affect my sleeping habit. I know that for a fact. And when am I _not_ stressed? I mean, honestly.

She shrugs. "Maybe that's your problem." She pushes an earbud into her ear; I didn't even see or hear her connect them to the iPad. "I think all that stress is finally starting to get you."

"Starting?" I repeat miserably. "You mean there's more to come?"

"Probably."

I don't even care this time; I drop my head down onto the table again. My forehead takes a strong impact with the polished wood, shaking every item on the table. "Wonderful." I mutter.

"Hey, Marilyn." Someone says out of nowhere.

"Hey, Michael." She sounds distracted as she greets him.

As for me, I stay exactly as I am. I hardly think another greeting is going to really matter to him.

"Hey, Athena." He says to me. The legs of a chair scrape against the carpeted floor as he pulls it out from underneath the table.

 _But, of course, he going to expect one._ Too tired to make real words, I simply give one short groan in response.

"Um… is she okay?" Unless Marilyn somehow looks out of character, I assume he is asking Marilyn that question.

"She might be dead. I'm not quite sure."

 _You are way more than right, my friend._

"Let's hope not. I don't feel like being the one to carry out a dead body."

I snap my head up and glare at him through my narrowed eyes. "I am really feeling the love, Michael. I really am."

"I'm glad. Now, what the deal with you today? You looked like you were in shitty mood in Mr. Hughes' class today."

"I have always been like that with Hughes. He gets on my nerves. But I have been like that for a while now."

"Why?"

"She's been having trouble sleeping." Marilyn blurts out mindlessly.

" _Thank you_ , Marilyn." I warn her loudly. Luckily, it didn't draw any attention.

"What? I know you were going to tell him, anyway. Might as well get it out of the way now."

I roll my eyes then stare down at the table in embarrassment. I really _wasn't_ planning on telling Michael that. He doesn't need to know about my personal problems.

"Why is that?" He asks me. He sounds concerned about it, but I doubt he really is.

I hate it when people ask me the "why" questions. If I _knew_ why, I don't really think I would consider it much of a problem anymore. But, instead of telling him that, I decided to be as nice as possible about it. I give him a big, clueless. "I wish I knew. I truly do."

"What the _fuck_?" Marilyn jolts forward, her eyes widened at her bright iPad screen. She glances between me and the screen several times before clicking the lock button in the blink of an eye. She closes the cover and packs all of her things back into her bag.

"Um…" I was going to ask her what happened, but the drowsiness seems to have erased the words from my mind.

"Gotta go. They're streaming on the SmartBoard down on the fourth floor."

I raise a curious eyebrow. "But isn't there, like a string of passwords you have to put in for that computer?"

"Philip hacked it. A bunch of students are down there right now." She zips her bag closed. She hangs it on her forearm, nearly punching herself in the jaw while doing so. "Alright. Well, I'll see you later. They're playing _The Notebook_ right now." Before Michael or I have a chance to even say good-bye in return, she is speeding-walking past the librarian's desk and out the door.

"Wow." Michael says, looking at me once again. "I didn't know she could move so quickly."

"You obviously have never gone shopping with her." _I can't stand this. I feel like I am dying—actually, no. Screw that. I am dead. Please stop talking to the dead girl._

"Let's hope I won't ever have to, either." He throws in a little bit of a laugh even though he is clearly dead-serious." Anyway, you wanna ditch the rest of the day?"

 _Keep talking._ "And go where, exactly?" I shouldn't even be considering this, knowing how my absences are. But I guess it doesn't hurt to get a little more information on the subject.

"I don't know. Lunch? A movie? Coffee? It's up to you."

Don't do it. You can't afford another absence. Don't even think of saying yes. Stop it. I stare blankly into space, making my decision in the time given. I let out the heaviest and most exhausted sigh. "Eh, why not?" I grab my bag and put one strap over my shoulder.

"We both stand up simultaneously, and he leads the way to the back of the school.

We had to have successfully dodged at _least_ four security guards before we made it out of the back entrance of the school. I am relieved to know we didn't get caught. I may be friends with some of the guards here, but they would _never_ let me go away with trying to leave the school.

"That was much easier than I thought it would be." Michael says. "My last school had a security guard at almost every door in the school."

"That must have been a lovely school." I reply sarcastically. And all this time I thought Stamford High was bad.

"Not really. The administrators were just really over-protective. Hardly anything happened there."

I nod my head, but I kind of stopped listening after he said "not really". My mind has been wandering off a lot lately, and I think it has to do with more than the lack of sleep. And it's not just listening I am having a problem with. That just seems to be one of the many thing I have not been putting much effort nowadays. I don't know what is wrong with me. I am not dead (seriously), but I might as well be.

Michael swings his back pack around and open the smallest pocket in the front. "So how about some food from the mall restaurant?" he pulls out a bunch of keys.

"Sounds… good. Um, why are you taking those out?" I point to the keys he is winging around his index finger in a cicular motion.

He glances at them. "Well, we have to get into my car somehow." He smirks.

"What? You drive?" He doesn't realize how happy that makes me, I was _not_ looking forward to walking all the way to the mall. "You… I freaking love you, man."

"Why? 'Cuz you know I've got a car now?"

"Um. Yeah." When he rolls his eyes, it makes me giggle. "Not just that." I add. "You are a really cool guy, too. You and Marilyn are the best friends I have had in a _very_ long time."

Michael doesn't say anything after that. Then again, he doesn't have to say anything for me to feel a sudden change in the atmosphere. It's a little bit heavier now. And awkward. It is pretty sad feeling, actually and I don't get it. And Michael's current facial expression only confirms that something is wrong. Was it something I said? Did he not like something I said? What did I say?

Instead of letting that slip this time, I decided to ask him about it. I don't like seeing him that way mostly because he reminds of a puppy when he does it. "What's wrong?" I ask after a minute of silent stalling.

He licks his lips; he's got something important on his mind. The empty look in his stare is telling me that much. But, despite the signs. "Nothing." He says as if it's true.

"I don't believe that. Just letting you know." I make a one-eighty and walk backward as I speak to him.

He shrugs carelessly. "It's nothing. Seriously. My thoughts just got to me for a second. That's all."

 _Damn it. I really want know now. Cue Loki voice: TELL ME!_ "Okay. Fine. It's your business." I leave it at that. I don't want to annoy him or piss him off.

We are halfway through the huge student parking lot when Michael turns right and walks to the driver's side of a… no way.

I study the car from a side view. _Oh My God_ is all I am thinking now. Michael's car is a Mercedes-Benz C250 Coupe in red. Yes, it is a beautiful car, but that's not what's fascinating about it. It is an exact replica of the car Tom had before he moved back to England. I won't ask about it now, but I will definitely be bringing it up at some point later on.

"Michael watches with a raised eyebrow as I study his car. Or Tom's car. I can't really tell at the moment. "Are you coming, or what?"

I nod a yes, mindlessly. I am sure I look beyond lost right now. I can actually _feel_ the expression in my face. I slowly make my way to the passenger's side, my eyes _still_ not leaving the car. It just looks way too much like Tom's. I get in and push the image of the car clean out of my mind. _What does it matter if it's Tom's or not? It's not his anymore._ When I sit down, the feeling of the seat is so familiar to me. I had to have sit here before. If this is Tom's car… Huh. Wouldn't that be something?

We pull farther away from the school and closer to the street, and I can feel the pressure of the depressing air disappearing. Following quickly after is the stress of school and socialization being lifted so rapidly, and it feels amazing. We cruise down the road like we have all the time in the world.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* **Jake T. Austin** as Michael De Soto

* * *

 **Chapter XX: I Love Your Apartment.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

"Yeah, no. I don't think so. Kenneth Branagh is, by far, the Iago in Othello." I stare out at the road flying past us. "Don't try to convince me otherwise."

"I don't know." Tom argues. "I still think Ewan McGregor might be a better Iago by just a bit."

I roll my eyes. "You are just saying that because you're, like, one of his best friends. Calm down, alright? Branagh is the best. End of the discussion."

"Is that so?" I can hear his wide smile in his voice. "Well, we'll just have to settle that when you get here."

"Yes. I am going to walk away from that discussion with you confessing that Kenneth's awesome. Watch." I grin even though he can't see it. I just wish he could, because that would mean he was here with me. "So how is the shooting going? Does Loki get enough screen time?"

"More than his fair share. Filming's just fine. Actually, I've heard that we're almost finished. Just a few more scenes, and I'll probably get a chance at a full night's sleep."

"That's good. Does that mean you'll be free when I get there? Or no?" I chew my bottom lip nervously. Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes.

He gives me a quiet disappointed sigh, and I already know what he is going to say. "I'm not sure, actually. As soon as I'm done here, I'll probably be starting up on _Crimson Peak_. Mia talked me into doing it, and I got one of the main roles.

" _Another_ movie?" I say clearly upset. "Don't you get to have a break between movies or something?"

"Unfortunately, I have bills to pay, love. Acting is all I've got right now that keeps me warm and in the house. I can't just risk that and stop for a little while."

"Come on, Tom. I am sure you have more than enough money to spare. Taking off, like a _month_ will not have a big effect on your wallet, or your account, or whatever you keep that safe."

"I'm fine with it. It keeps me on my feet. That's what I like about it."

"If you want somebody to keep you on your feet, then give me a call. I will send you on a country-wide scavenger hunt or some kind. I got you, Tom."

He chuckles on his end of the call. "I appreciate that, but that will just use up my money even more."

"Not if you walk."

"Why are so worried, all of a sudden? I'm fine. Can't you just take that as my answer?"

"Not really. I just… I don't want you to over-work yourself. Alright? There you go."

"No. That's not it. You're worried I won't be able to spend time with you when you come to stay with me this summer."

 _"Ani-yo! **{No!}** … No…"_ I lied, trying to offend by the idea. It is true, every bit of it. But I didn't think he would be catching on that quickly. Well… now that I think about it, that's kind of a stupid assumption. He knows me better than anyone else. And his dead silence is enough to tell me he doesn't believe me one bit. "Maybe…" I mumbled. "Is that worse?"

"A little bit."

My cheeks burn with embarrassment. That has to be one of the idiotic things I have said to him. "I am so sorry, Tom. I'm—I-I didn't mean-"

"I was kidding." Another sweet smile makes his voice lighten up and sound kinder than before. "Don't take that seriously. I really was kidding. It wasn't that worse. I hate it, too."

"Then why do you do it? Isn't it stressful?"

"Yeah, it's stressful. But everything's stressful. I just love doing it despite the stress. I like constantly having the opportunity to find out just what it is I can do."

I decided to stop arguing with him. I clearly can't persuade him to take a break, so I might as well support him on this. "As long as you come out okay from all this filming, it's fine. Knock yourself out."

"Thank you. Alright. I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay." I drop my stare to my lap. I don't want him to go yet.

"I love you."

I glance at Michael, who is concentrating fully on the road. I hope to God he didn't hear that. "I am with Michael." I reply. It's kind of like a code for each other. We are finally trying to stay faithful to the whole "Keep it a secret" thing, so we just say. "I'm with *place name here*. I guess it is our version of "I love you" when we are unable to say it out loud.

"Right." Tom didn't sound too thrilled to hear me say that. It is the weirdest thing because Michael gets the same way when I mentioned Tom. It is a short moment of dead silence before he speaks again. "Bye, love."

"Bye."

He doesn't even bother to linger for a second like the usual. He just hangs up right away, and my phone beeps in my ear.

 _Geuui ban-eung-eun ... segyeeseo geuge mwoya? Geuneun jeon-e geuleohge haengdong hanjeog-i eobs-eo. **{His reaction… what in the world was that? He's never acted like that before.}** Geulsse, ne, geuneun jigeum ilju-il jeongdo dong-an geuleon sig-eulo haengdonghaessseubnida. Geuleona jeoneun jeongmallo geugeos-eul eodji moshabnida. **{Well, yes, he is been acting like that for about a week now, but I really don't get it why though.}** _

_Naega mwol hangeoji? Naneun geuege bulkwaegam-euljuneun mal-eul haessseubnikka? Naneun geuga jeongmallo joh-ahaji anhneun geos-eul haessneunga? **{What did I do? Did I say something offensive to him? Did I do something he didn't really like?}** _

_Naneun jinan jue musihan jeonhwa ttaemun-i anigileul balabnida. Naui eommaneun naleul wihae nal-eul bonaego sip-eossda_ (geuleonde, naui insaeng-ui byeolnan nal) _. geuligo naneun eotteon uimundo jegihago sipji anh-assda. **{I hope it wasn't because of those calls I ignored last week. My eomma wanted to spend the day for me (weirdest day of my life, by the way), and I did not want to raise any questions.}** _

_Unless… **{Anhneun han...}**_

Suddenly, the answer hits me like a slap in the face, leaving a bewildered expression plain on my face. I look at Michael, piecing the last few details together, then stare straight ahead again. _Eom-ma-ya. Naneun neomu eoli seogda! Naneun geugeos-eul mid-eul su eobsda, naneun geugeos-eul simgaghage mid-eul su eobsda. Tom eun jiltusim-i manhda._ **{ _Oh my God. I am so stupid! I can't believe it, I can't seriously believe it. Tom is jealous.}_** _Geulaeseo geuneun hangsang geuleon solileulhaessseubnida. Michael ileum-eul deudneun geos-eun geuleul jiltuhage mandeubnida. **{That's why he always sounded like that. Hearing Michael's name makes him jealous.}**_

This thought brings a small, amused smile to my face. With a hint of disbelief, of course. _Oh. My. God. He is jealous. Mr. Hiddleston is experiencing jealousy. Why for, I don't know. Michael will never be a competitor because Tom always wins… let me list them: money, looks, fame, brains, kindness, politeness, good manners, devotion, and talent, definitely sarcastic. Yep. Tom wins. But he does not see that. He's freaking jealous- oh. Oh this is too adorable. This is really something. I hope he knows how I feel about that now. Yes, that's right, honey. Feel the jealousy._

"Did you use all your energy talking whoever that was?" Michael jokes.

I shake my head no, but I then realize that is kind of a silly move. He is looking at the road; he can't see me. "Y-Yeah. I mean, no. I just caught up in thought. That's all."

"'Bout what?"

I smile. It just makes me want to laugh so hard. "Nothing. Nothing important, anyway."

"Don't want to talk about it?"

I shake my head no. "Not really. Sorry."

"Why not?"

"Because I _just_ don't. What's with all the questions, Michael?" I hate the question after question after question. I have always hated that. I feel like I am being interrogated.

" _Sorry_." He shoots me a surprised glance. I have never snapped at him like that while being serious about it. "I was just curious."

"I know. It's- I am so sorry. Just when I say I don't want to talk about something, accept that as I _don't_ want to _talk_ about." I can feel myself getting angry. For some reason, getting annoyed always triggers my anger. If I say no, it doesn't mean keep trying. Seriously.

"Alright. Got it." he stares back out at the road, and the awkward silence envelops us both. He even starts to show the awkwardness physically; squirming in his seat, impatient sighs. I really had an effect on him with that reaction. He makes me feel kind of bad about it. "I'm sorry." He apologizes, not looking at me for a second. "I hope it didn't sound like I was snooping or anything. I'm naturally nosy."

"It's all good. Just forget about it." I slide the lock across the phone screen and start looking through my games. I need something to distract me. I find my favorite one, _Piano Tiles_ , all the way at the end. I tap on it, turn the volume all the way down, and start playing.

Suddenly, one of my favorite songs comes on over the speakers. I look at the radio, totally caught off-guard. _"Life Could Be A Dream…"_ I look at Michael, confused. "The Coasters?"

"Yeah. You know it?" He smiles widely.

"I love this song." I take a few seconds to listen to the song, and it makes me smile. I used to listen and dance around to this with Tom.

 _"Tom, come dance with me." I call from the living room. I place my iPhone on the iHome dock. I scroll through my playlist, looking for a good song to dance to._

 _"And what song did you have in mind, exactly?" He comes up behind me and places his hands on my hips, resting his chin on my shoulder._

 _Just as he said that, I had already clicked the perfect song. **Life Could Be A Dream** by The Coasters. "How about this one?"_

 _"It's a good song, but I don't know how to dance to it."_

 _"Well, you don't have to come up with a perfectly-coordinated dance routine." I turn to face him and take both his hands in mine. I lead him to the center of the living room, keeping an eye out for the coffee table. Just before it hits the back of my leg, I push it towards the couch and out of the way. I turn back to him, my ponytail whipping around to the back of my head. I give him a teeth-flashing smile. "Just move around." I start swaying my hips side to side and waving my hands like a jolly person._

 _"Seriously? That's not dancing! That's just moving." He smiles widely, amused by my-so called 'dancing'._

 _"Of course it is. If you are moving with a rhythm, and there's music blasting, it's dancing. Just do it. Come on." I continue to sway my hips, keeping in sync with the song's beat._

 _He's hesitant, but I get him to start moving with me enough. Soon, we are moving back and forth, side to side, across the living room floor in sways, twists and turns. We are so sure about what we're doing that it could be accepted as dancing by anyone who's watching. But it really isn't. At least, I don't think it is. It's just us being silly with lazy movements. It's just fun to move around with him. We even continue to dance even after the song is over, our dances changing quickly between love songs, rock songs, jazz songs and even kpop songs. This is now our playlist. I don't care if I am the one that created it. I am labeling it our playlist,_ _톰_ _명희_ _ヽ_ _(*≧ω≦)_ _ﾉ_ _*_ _재생_ _목_ _록_ _*_ ** _{Tom_** ** _Myung-hee's_** ** _ヽ_** ** _(*_** ** _≧ω≦_** ** _)_** ** _ﾉ_** ** _*playlist*}_** _._

I find myself staring blankly at the dashboard. That was one of my perfect moments with Tom. The playlist is still called _Tom_ _Myung-hee's playlist._ It will never change it for anything or anyone.

"Life could be a dream! Sh-boom, if I can take you up to paradise up above! Sh-boom, and tell me, darling. I'm the only one that you love!" Michael sings his heart out to the song, even if it is a tad bit off-key. But he is having so much fun with it, I don't think he really cares if he's singing it right or not.

I jump in and join him in singing the end of the song cheerfully. "Life could be a drema! Sweetheart, hello. Hello again! Sh-boom, and hoping we'll meet again!"

~o~

"I love your apartment." I tell Michael as he locks the door behind us. "Not too small, not too big. It's comfy."

"Yeah, I like it too." He throws his keys on a little tray next to the door. "But I'm hoping to get my own place soon. I've been saving money for a nice apartment right down the street."

"Yeah, that's something about Stamford. Even though the apartments cost an arm and a leg, you will never run out of options." I look at the picture on the wall. It's Michael and a woman I'm assuming to be his mother since she looks a lot like him. "It is kind of sad, really."

"Why?" The way he said that one word makes me sound like I'm weird… which I am.

"Because… I remember this city when it wasn't trying to be like New York. There were more trees, more little stories, and more convenience stores, less shopping centers. It was actually pretty nice to live here. But then they started building condominiums and office buildings. "It's really too much business, and it kind of sucks now." I slowly make my way with the flat screen TV on it. There are framed photographs on each side. Michael and his mother… and two other guys; one is an adult and the other is a child. I picked up the picture of Michael and the two guys. "Who are they?" I ask him curiously, studying the man in the picture. Michael has his eyes, lips and hair.

"That's my dad." Michael replies, appearing next to me. I didn't hear him take a step. "And the little one's my brother. He's five years old now."

"Aw. What is your little brother's name?"

"Jake."

"I would love to meet him. He is so adorable."

Michael is silent, staring at the picture with sad eyes. "He would've been great to meet. He really was a special one."

I look at him, instantly realizing what he was talking about. I place the picture back where it was on the mantle and turn to him, not looking him in the face. "I am so sorry. I did not know… I wouldn't have said…"

"Don't worry about it." Michael takes a deep breath, filling his lungs to their limit. "It wasn't your fault."

I look up at him. I am glad I did not offend him or anything. I really hadn't taken that into an account when I should have. "M-May I ask what happened?"

He stares at the picture for a few more seconds, then turns away from it. He walks off into the kitchen, bumping his fist purposely against the frame of the doorway. "You want anything to drink?" he calls out.

"Water, please." I keep looking at the other pictures. Everything on the mantle includes either his dad, his brother or both.

As I am studying a picture of them with a bunch of different-colored bunnies (a couple of them were purple and green, not sure why), he comes back into the living room with a bottle of water for me and a bottle of Heineken for himself. I wonder if I could try one, but I decided to leave that question for another day. "My brother had gotten a glass in his foot. A _huge_ shard about half the size of my hand."

I wince at the short description. I can practically feel the pain in my foot. My reflexes tell me to ask if Jake was okay, but my common sense reminds me to stay silent for a while.

"It was terrible. He was crying so loud, and we couldn't get it out. My mom was at work, so my dad was with us. He told me to stay here while he took Jake to the emergency room. He said he didn't want me to hear my brother like that. So he left. Everything after this that I'm telling you is what my dad had told me."

I nod my head understandingly, encouraging him to go on.

He lifts the bottle to his lips and takes a huge drink of the beer. He gulps it down and continues the story. "They were halfway to the hospital. My dad was focusing on my screaming brother so much that he didn't notice the line of cars stopped directly in front of him. He panicked, and instead of hitting the brake, he swerved off the road right into a tree, hitting the side of the car where my brother was sitting. Jake got the full blow. When the ambulance got to them…" he takes a pause to drink more. I don't think he's over this. It must not have happened that long ago. He clears his throat. "When the ambulance got to them. Jake had died in my dad's arms. He licks his lips, then takes another swig.

"I am so sorry that happened to him. He seemed like a precious little boy."

"He was. He really was. I still have every LEGO figure he would build for me. He was pretty good for a four year old."

"Did he like construction or something?"

"So much. I'd find him looking through my textbook for woodworking class. He'd be flipping through just to see the pictures since he couldn't read the small print. The last one he built me was supposed to be a car. He saw it on TV and just started putting pieces together… well." He chuckles. "He got the wheels in the right place. Everything else was just sort of stuck on top of them. I'll show you them later if you want."

"That sounds good." I am not hesitant with my questions, but I really want to know more. "And um… what about your dad?"

"My father. hm. No one ask about him. Then again, no one really _likes_ him." He chuckles. "My father felt so guilty after the accident. He was convinced that it was his fault Jake died. Last time I saw him was in his room…" he stares up at the ceiling fan. It is turning ever so slowly, bit it is making the room moderately cool. "… hanging from the ceiling fan." He takes the longest few gulps of beer after he says that. Hell, I would too if I wanted to drink the mental scar away.

"I can see… you have had something of a sad life." I fidgeted between my fingers while looking down at them. I leaned against the back cushions of the couch and closing knees together. It's really all I can think of doing such an awkward situation.

He shrugs carelessly. "Yes and no. Yes, I lost two of the most people in my life, but I've got my mom. I've got air in my lungs, I've got you as the first best friend I made here in Stamford. And I'm glad my brother gets to stay a child forever. I don't think I'd ever want him to learn the truth about reality, about growing up."

"Why is that? I mean… I am sure he would want to learn what it is like to have a girlfriend, or being in middle school is like."

"And let him understand? I don't think so. He was too sweet to know what a heartbreak is. And middle school is the most confusing part of life in education. Worst of all, you've got assholes around you that help in making it harder to understand who the hell you are."

Concern lowers my eyebrows. I have never heard so much hate come from someone (other than myself). "Did that happen to you in middle school? I mean… were you bullied or something?"

"Hell yeah. I love reading, especially Shakespeare. I always had one of Shakespeare's plays somewhere at the bottom of my bag. And every time I went to the school library to get another one, a bunch of kids would make fun of me. My own classmates. In sixth grade, they actually convinced me that I might have been gay." He chuckles at that as if it is the most ridiculous thing in the world. "They would tell me how Shakespeare's are for girls, and they'd asked me if I like reading stuff to my boyfriend."

"Jerkass douche-bags." I mutter under my breath. "I mean, seriously. How in God's name does that make you gay? You like reading Shakespeare… and? That makes you gay? Now that I think about it, I think anything people do that isn't normal girl thing or guy thing to do, or if it isn't something mainstream, you are automatically homosexual-" I cut myself off in a flash. My jaw snaps shut, and I looked away from him. "I am so sorry. I'm off on a rant. This is about you."

"No, no." he changes his position, turning in his spot to face me. He rests an elbow on one of the bigger pillows. "I think I'd wanna hear your opinion. Go ahead."

I lick my lip, nervousness leaving them dry and with a weird feeling. They know I have been put on the spot, so I guess they completely forgot to move. "Um…" I clear my throat, and I proceed. "I, um… I just think it's stupid. That's all. And what the hell does reading have to do with being gay? You are just human that likes to read. Shakespeare clearly likes to read, and he was straight. Unless Anne was a dude. A bunch of people like to read in this world, and half of them are straight as a pin. And what if you were gay? Not that I am saying you are though. Unless you are. Actually, I don't know you that well, so… are you?"

He rolls his eyes at my questions. "I can assure you that I'm not gay. My ex-girlfriends would _definitely_ disagree on that." He smirks.

"Right. Just making sure. I wasn't questioning you or anything. We just haven't known each other for that long."

After that, it is just dead silence. That, I have to admit, was my fault. I let my mouth run without monitoring what words come out of it. As a result, we are left in a thick, awkward atmosphere. I play with my fingers nervously, pretty embarrassed that I just asked that flat out. I chew on the inside of my cheek. _Dodaeche eotteohge geu munjeleul haegyeol hana? **{How the hell does one fix that?}**_

"I could prove it to you, you know?"

I look at him. I don't know what stupid part of my brain thought he could, like to ask an ex-girlfriend or something. But, before I could ask it's too late.

Michael presses his lips to mind more quickly than I can follow.

I stare at him wide-eyed, frozen in place. My heart is pounding so hard, I can't hear a single thought in my head. I can't find the common sense to pull away and slap the sense out of him because, well… because I think I kind of… _liked_ it. And, being the _babo **{idiot}**_ I am, my eyelids flutter and close.

I slowly kiss him back.

But it's not even half a minute before my common sense has finally returned. I pull back, his lips lingering before disconnecting completely. He gazes into my eyes, pupils dilated. He definitely enjoyed that more than I did. I stare back at him, but in astonishment rather than ecstasy. My heart drops to my stomach in the blink of an eye. I blink back the tears that tease the rims of my eyes. I look away quickly, averting my stare to the floor. "I… I think you should take me home now." I say softly.

The entire ride home, I cried silently in the passenger's seat against the car door.

 _Naega museun jis-eul han? **{What have I done?}**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 **Minor Characters in the Story:**

* **Cha Seung-Won** as Park Woo-bin {Myung-hee's father}

* **Woo Hee-jin** as Park Eun-hye {Myung-hee's mother}

* * *

 **Chapter XXI: None Of Your Business.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

The phrase _"I am a terrible person"_ has yet to stop repeating itself in my mind. _What in the world was wrong with me? I am not available! I can't just let guys kiss me! And I most definitely cannot go on and kiss them back! Dodaeche mwoya?! **{What the hell?!}**_

"Myung-hee?"

 _I mean, did that seriously just happen? Actually, no. it happened three days ago. But it happened. That's the problem here. How did that even come-oh, yeah. I asked him if he was gay… but I didn't asked him to kiss me! He couldn't call up one of his ex-girlfriends, however many there may be? Ani-yo. **{No.}** He had to kiss me. That's how it works, right?_

"Myung-hee."

 _And I responded! Not the way I was supposed to, though! I kissed him back. What in Loki's name made that an okay thing to do in my mind?_

 _Wait… maybe… maybe I really didn't mean anything by it. Maybe it was just a reflex. His kiss did remind me of Tom's a bit. Jogeum deo budeuleobgo ... jogeum deo ... sul-e chwihan geosman ppaego ... geu Axe yeoss-eo- MANGHAL! ANI-YO! Geuleoji ma, Myung-hee! Negaissneun gos-eseo geuman hae, neo babo. **{Except a little softer… a little more… intoxicating… Was that Axe—DAMN IT! NO! Don't do that, Myung-hee! Stop right where you are, you dumbass.}**_

"Myung-hee!"

 _"Mwo? **{What?}** "_ I snap, annoyed. But it was annoyance at my thoughts, not my eomeoni, and I instantly feel bad about reacting like that. _"Mianhae, eomma. Naneun nae saeng-gag-eulo gil-eul ilh-eossdaneun tteus-i anieossda. I ban-eung-eun neoege uimiga eobs-eossda. **{I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean… I was lost in my thoughts. This reaction wasn't meant towards you.}** "_

 _"Gwaenchanh-eungeoya, jagiya? Yojeum neo jasin-i aniya. **{Is everything alright, sweetheart? You haven't really been yourself lately.}** "_

 _Did you really have to add that cliché in there? Was it necessary to you?_ _"Ani! Naneun gwaenchanh-a. **{No. Yes! I am fine.}** Geunyang eum, geulsseugi. Naneun han dal an-e amu geosdo sseuji anh-assda. Naleul hwanagehagoiss-eo. **{Just um, writing. I haven't written anything in a month. It's pissing me off.}** " _I cut off a huge piece of my untouchable pancake and shove it into my mouth. Hopefully, she will get the hint and not asking another question.

But of course, this is my eomeoni I am talking about. _"Museun iyagi ya? Ama naega doul su-iss-eo. **{What's the story about? Maybe I can help.}** "_

 _O, geugeon ani-yo. Ani-yo. **{Oh, that's a no. no.}** _

_"Ajig amugeosdo. Naneun amugeosdo gajiji moshaessda. **{Nothing, yet. I haven't been able to come up with anything.}** " I said with my mouth full, trying to make my message come across a little more clearly, but I doubt she would even picked it up._

 _"Hm… why don't you write about yourself?"_

I smile, amused by her suggestion. I cut off another piece of pancake. _"Naneun jeongjighage jaemiissneun geos-e daehae geul-eul sseugo sipseubnida. Sidohae jwoseo gomawo. **{I honestly like writing about**_ **interesting _things. Thank you for trying, though.}_** _"_ I take in the next piece, staring down at the table.

 _"Eotteohge jaemi issji anh-a? Dangsin-ui sigan-e daehae sseusibsio… **{How's that not interesting? Write about your time…}** "_ I hear her swallow thickly. It is a very faint sound, but a noticeable sound nonetheless. I know what she's trying to say already, but I let her say it, anyway. _"Jib-eul tteona myeoch nyeon-eul giloghasibsio. Dangsin-i han il, dangsin-i meomulleossdeon gos, mannan salam. **{Write about your years away from home. What you did, where you stayed, who you met.}** Salamdeul-i geugeol ilg-eul geos-ilago hwagsinhabnida. Geugeos-eun dangsin-eul chungbunhi yumyeonghage mandeul-eossseubnida. **{I'm sure the people would read that. It's made you famous enough as it is.}** "_

I tried to ignore to ignore her, but I could not help but see her point. There's nine years to my life that only a very small number of people know about. And how many times will I be able to fascinate people with my story? It will get old after a while, and so will I. I nod my head approvingly at the idea. _"Naneun siljelo geugeos-eul golyeohaeya hal geos-ida... gomawo, eomma. **{I will actually have to take that under consideration… thanks, mom.}** "_

 _"Munje eobs-eo, jagiya. **{No problem, sweetheart.}** " _She chugs down the rest of her coffee.

As I take another bite, I feel some kind of substance on my tongue. It's gooey, but it's not alarming. _"Yeogie… yeogie ttalgiwa chokollis-i deul-eo issnayo? **{Does… does this have strawberry and chocolate in it?}** "_ I point at the pancake.

 _"Ye. **{Yes.}** " My eomeoni shakes her head. "Chokollis chibgwa jal honhab doen ttalgi sileob. **{Chocolate chips and well blended strawberry syrup.}** "_

I close my eyes, pretty pleased about that. _"Joh-eun. **{Nice.}** "_ I comment.

Once I have finished my lunch (Yeah, I said lunch; got a problem with that?), I clean up my area and run upstairs to the bathroom. As usual, I stub my freaking toe on the threshold and swear loudly at the impact. I have yet to go a day this month without doing that, and I am very close to standing it down to _nothing_ pretty soon.

My phone buzzes like crazy next to the sink. I forgot I had even left it there. Tom shows up on the screen, and I quickly pick up before the ringing stops. "Hello?"

"Hello, beautiful." Tom greets me.

I smirk. "I'm sorry. You must have the wrong number."

"Do I? What a shame. I'll just go then."

I roll my eyes. "Hey, babe. What's up?"

"On my way to Starbucks. Are you ready yet?"

 _Oh, God! Oh God! Oh God! OH GOD!_ I completely forgot about our date. How the _hell_ did that slip my mind? "I am so sorry. _Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}** _I forgot about Starbucks. I have been so stressed, I… _Eom-ma-ya._ I feel so terrible. I am so sorry, Tom."

"It's alright."

"You don't understand." The scene with Michael starts playing out in my head, and I do everything I can to stay away from it. "I told you I would go today. We hardly ever go on our dates. I messed up, babe. I really did. I feel so terrible. I'm a terrible person."

"Myung-hee?"

"I should have called you, been like 'I am so sorry, but I can't go today. My brain is packing it all in.' But no. I have waited 'til the last minute. It did not even cross my mind to let you know. It hasn't crossed my mind to do _anything_ right, lately. I am stressing over my writings, I miss all of my friends, and I kissed-" _DAGCHYEO, MYUNG-HEE! BABO! **{SHUT UP, MYUNG-HEE! YOU IDIOT!}**_

"I'm sorry, what?" _O ani-yo, **{Oh no,}**_ he caught that one. He caught that one instantly.

 _"Mwo? **{What?}** "_ I say it casually and breathlessly, my heart pounding in panic.

"That last thing. What was that?"

"I miss all my friends?"

"No. After that."

I keep quiet, thinking of a way to cover that up. What is something I could do that would start with "I kissed" without getting myself in trouble? Oh God, did I really mess up that one. Suddenly, it just hits me like a miracle. "Oh… I kissed my friend by accident! Marilyn. Is that what you are talking about?" _Please take it. Please take it. Please take it._

It's quiet on the other end for way too long. Either he is contemplating on that, or he is currently occupied with, like tea or something. He's just as addicted to it as he is coffee. Well, when _he_ makes it. "Now there has to be a story behind that." He finally says.

I close my eyes in relief. I am so grateful, I could cry right now. "She was peeping over my shoulder, and I turned my head too quickly. It was a little kiss. A _scarring_ kiss, but a little one."

"That must've been pretty awkward for you two." I can hear a wide smile in his voice.

"Yeah, it was at first. Then we just laughed it off and forget about it. No big deal, not worth obsessing over. A meaningless kiss. That's it."

He chuckles at my babbling. "You sound so nervous. Are you _sure_ it meant nothing?"

If I didn't know he was joking. I would come clean here and now. Would he be so kind-hearted about it if he knew it was Michael and not Marilyn? That's what makes it all the more nerve-racking to even _continue_ on this subject. "Positive." I forced out. I can't leave him hanging on that question. My situation will come out _much_ worse.

"Alright. So do you want to make another date anytime soon?"

"What kind of question is that? Yes, I would love to. Just text me the time and place, and I will be there."

"Will do. Don't go kissing any other girls, now. At least, not until I can be there to see it."

I roll my eyes. I know he would _love_ to see that. "You have got to be kidding me. _Araso. **{Alright.}** Sarang haeyo. **{I love you.}** "_

 _"Judo sarang haeyo. **{I love you too.}** Bye."_ He hangs up right after that.

I slide my phone into my back pocket. I flicked the mirror light off, and right as I turn to face the door, I jump back against the sink in surprise. _"Eom-ma-ya! **{Oh my god!}** "_

My Abeoji is leaning against the door frame with a stone-cold poker face. _"Myung-hee, neoneun nuguleul saranghani? **{So who is it that you love, Myung-hee?}** " _He asks me, his (honestly handsome aged) look the most intimidating thing I have ever seen in my life.

 _"Neo museun soli ya? **{What are you talking about?}** " My_ eyes are wide with panic, which is not every helpful on my side of things.

 _"Dangsin-eun 'neoleul Sarang haeyo' lago malhaess-eo. **{You said 'I love you'}.** Naneun neoleul deul-eossda. Geuleoni naege geojismalhaji malgo naegahaji anh-assdago malhanda. **{I heard you, so don't lie to me and say I didn't.}** "_

 _"Geulaessji. Waenyahamyeon geugeos-eun malillin-ege iss-eossgi ttaemun-ibnida. Geugeos-eun danji hanaui il-ibnida. **{You did. Because it was to Marilyn. It is just a thing.}** Geugeos-eun gajang chinhan chingugahaneun il-ibnida. Geuge daya. **{That's what best friends do. That's all.}** "_

 _"Jeongmal? Geuleom nega hyudae jeonhwaleul bolkka **. {Really? Let me see your phone, then.}** "_ He grabs for the cellphone in my back pocket.

I swat his arm away. _"Geugeolhaji anh-eusigessseubnikka **? {How about you don't do that?}** "_ I give him a daring look, or I hope it looks daring. That's what it feels like to me.

 _"Mwo? **{What?}** "_

 _"Neoneun nae mal deul-eoss-eo. Yeogin nae jeonhwa ya. Dangsindo geu jung hanaleul kkeul-eonael su eobsda. 'Gisuljeog-eulo, geugeon nae jeonhwagi ya.' ileon jonglyuui. **{You heard me. This is my phone. You can't even pull any of that 'technically, it's my phone' kind of shit.}** Neoneun geugeos-eul saji anh-assda. Geuligo dangsin-eun gajang hwagsilhage geugeos-eul cheong-guhaji anhseubnida. **{You didn't buy it. And you most definitely don't pay my bill for it.}** "_ I move past him and head to my room.

 _"Eojjaessdeun nuga geu jeonhwaleul sasyeossseubnikka? **{Who did buy you that phone, anyway?}** "_ He is angry. I can hear it in his voice. Do I care? No.

 _"Gwihaui bijeuniseu jung amu geosdo. **{None of your business.}** "_ I throw my door closed behind me. I reach under my bed and pull out my laptop. Loading it up, I start to think about Michael. The way he looked at me, the way he jokes around with me, how emotional he got when telling me about his family; it was a side of him I had never seen before. And the fact that I noticed all of this just proves that I deserve to be guilty as I am. I know it was just a kiss, but kissing Michael is a massive deal to me. I promised Tom that I was his. And I _made_ him promise that he was mind no matter where in the world he is. I went and broke my own promise.

I can't handle this right now. Before Michael takes over my thoughts _again_ , I toss my laptop aside (carefully, of course) and run out of my room. I dash down the steps, not even caring that I scare out my parents with the sound of my feet pounding down on the steps. I force my sneakers onto my feet, ignoring the uncomfortable and strange feeling of not having my socks on. Just my luck, my eomeoni left the kitchen door open to let dome cool air into the house, and I burst out the door and dash down our driveway. I take a left and start sprinting down the street, the air rushing over my skin as I rip through it, I go down past the little park across my house, down the street, down past the houses with some residents staring at me in wonder as I zoom past them in I have got nowhere to go, and I have no intention to go anywhere in particular. I just want to run as far as my legs can take me.

After less than thirty (I can assume that long) minutes of running, I don't last very long; my legs begin to ache as soon as I reach my high school. It's about a mile from my home, but my legs feel like I just ran ten. I want to keep going no matter how much pain is in my underused legs, but the thought occurs to me: _what am I doing?_ I am running… for what? What's that going to solve? Nothing. It will solve nothing. I shot out of my house and down several blocks to realize I have got no one to run to. I don't have anyone to tell about this. I can't tell Marilyn, because hell _no_. I am sure as hell not _telling_ Tom. I can't tell my parents. And Michael is obviously off that list right now… I am running from myself. I created this problem. This is my fault. If I hadn't kissed him back, I would have not been in this little self-collapsing mess of mine. I made the mistake. And, instead of approaching it and taking care of it like I have to, I decided to run from the pressure that was crushing me in my room in hopes that I will just forget about it and move on. And I have no doubt I am giving my parents a mini heart attack right now because I kind of spaced out without a warning. I am running from a problem that's just going to follow me until I get rid of it myself.

I had forgotten my phone was in my pocket until I started to feel something buzzing on me. I check all the pockets I have, forgetting which one I put in. my right pocket, like always, is the size of a thin brick. I pull the phone out and see who is calling me now, of all the freaking times they could.

Of course it would be Michael.

I don't want to reject it, and I don't want to answer it. I want something to happen spontaneously to make him forget about me, like him finding another girl or a sudden memory wipe of any member of female species name 'Athena Park' or 'Park Myung-hee'. That would be nice. But this is reality. That does not happen in reality. I look out at a grassy front yard of one of the residents living just outside the school. I stare down at my phone for a moment. Michael's picture is there on my screen, smiling at me, because he jokingly insisted I have one there so I couldn't say I didn't know it was him calling. I decided to take the first action that pops into my head. I take my phone and throw it as far as possible into the unnecessarily giant yard without hitting the house. It lands somewhere between the grass and the flower bed lining the front of house, the screen still illuminated for a few more long-lasting minutes silent seconds before fading to a black screen. I stare at it blankly, literally nothing on my mind because there is too much to think about it at once. So I stand there, staring at my discarded phone, letting the dead silence of my little section of town consume me until I feel almost too relaxed and numb to move, and if only that feeling could last forever.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 **Minor Character in the Story:**

*Brenna D'Amico as Marilyn Rivera

* * *

 **Chapter XXII: I Needed That.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

The sun is out and shining brightly in the sky. The air is nice and warm for a spring day. The wind is still, the birds are singing like they haven't got a care in the world. Barely any cars have passed by, probably because it's mid-Wednesday and everybody is working their asses off right now. But the air is refreshing, the sky is blue and everything is just… tranquil, or content.

I, on the other hand, feel like a lonely puppy waiting for someone to care.

Tom's been gone for over eight months now. Eight incredibly long months, and not because I am waiting for my trip to London. If anything, I am waiting for something to _happen_ to my trip in London. Maybe my parents want to go on a cruise, maybe Marilyn was looking forward to flying somewhere, or maybe Tom gets his schedule over-packed and can't have me go to visit him. I don't care what it is, I just need something to happen so I can have more time. I still haven't told him. I haven't even _thought_ about telling him. I am trying to forget about it myself. It is still there. The guilt, the regret, the self-loathing, it's all still there. Fresh as if it just happened yesterday. I am dreading to see Tom so much that I even convinced him to cancel his trips over here. Yes, I did that. There were multiple times he wanted to come over here to spend time with me, and I gave him an excuse after excuse. _"I am just so busy with projects." "I would not have the time to spend with you." "I have a really bad fever. I do not want you to catch a fever from me. Rain check?"_ I was merciless with them, too. I can't tell him the truth that I really don't want to see him. What good will that do? I will just be getting his heart cracked enough until the day I shatter it with what happened between me and Michael. I know it's going to get to him somehow. I am going to do so well to keep it from him, of course, but I am not perfect. I am not Wonder Woman. I am not even _Sailor Moon_. I won't be able to hide it from him forever.

Long story short: I am screwed, no matter what.

Drowning in my thoughts, I don't miss the sound of footsteps on the ladder that leads from the driveway to the deck. My parents customized the deck for me; bean bag chairs with a few chibi plushies in them (Mostly anime from Hello Kitty, My Melody, Domo, Pokemon, Naruto and Sailor Moon), little tables, a couple of lawn chairs, a mini fridge and an extremely large doorway to the game room (which, luckily happens to be right next to my room) to bring it all in through when I am done. But I made sure to attach that ladder to the house myself and there's only one other person allowed to use it.

Marilyn swings her legs one by one over the wall and onto the wooden deck. She drops her bag as soon as she's standing up straight, and she glares at me. If looks could kill, I would be obligated.

"I am assuming you got my texts, then." I say a bit carelessly. I know she is here to kill me. Nothing I say will ease that.

She doesn't even blink, which is a bit worrying. A breeze hits her right in the face, lasting less than a minute, and her eyes are still perfectly fine and burning holes in my face.

"You could just say hello, you know. I know you hate-"

No chances to finish my sentence; Marilyn lunges at me, knocking me back onto the deck. She grips my white button shirt tight, holding me up to look right at her.

I fight to rip her hands off of me, writhing and struggling against her weight. It gets even harder as she straddles me and pins me down with all her weight. The girl's heavier than she looks. Either that or she knows some secret to holding people down that I did not know about.

"You stupid, selfish _moron_!" she shakes me angrily as if that will get her words through more clearly. Surprisingly it works. "You _idiot_! You horny, stupid _fool_! What were you think?!"

"I wasn't!" I reply, slightly panicked. I did not expect her to do that. The name calling. I knew that was coming. Tackling me out of absolutely nowhere, this was new. "Besides, you don't have to get _violent_! It's not like I _slept with him_. I am still a _virgin,_ you know that."

"You might as well have! And you are lucky you haven't lost your innocence to someone who is just a _friend_ to you!" She releases me and removes herself from my body.

I stare at the sky for a moment to catch my breath. I had not realized she was restricting my breath, and knocking the air out of me in the first place certainly didn't help. I slowly sit up and watch her as she paces back and forth across the deck. Her arms are crossed over her stomach. She chews at her lower lip with the same stress that lowers her eyebrows. She really is angry with me, and I am relieved by that. I needed _someone_ to be, and I did not have anyone else for the job. "Marilyn-"

"Just give me a sec. Just one." She stops mid-pace, her back at me as she recomposes herself. She takes a deep, cleansing breath before turning to face me, now wearing a face that strictly calls for business only. "Why?" she asks. She knows she doesn't need to say more. My text message said I will tell her everything.

"I don't know." I answer in all of honesty. "I got caught up in the moment, I guess. And I neglected to get a grip of my common sense."

"Assuming it was existent in the first place. What is wrong with you? How could you do that? Why did something like that even cross your mind in the first place?"

"I told you… I don't know." I push myself up off the floor and walk towards her. "I honestly have no idea why I kissed him. I guess I was lonely, and I missed his kiss, and Michael… Michael kind of reminds me of him. And Michael has such a beautiful soul. He hypnotized me for that moment, especially with the emotion sitting behind his words as we talked about his life. He has been so much. He is so-" I am cut off by a slap across my face. Still staring off to the side from the impact, I grit my teeth as the light stinging passes. "Thank you… I need that."

"Hell yeah, you did. Especially since you're gonna tell Tom."

" _Hell_ no!"

" _Hell_ yes!

" _Ani-yo. **{No.}**_ No. He does not know anything, and it's going to stay that way. It was just a kiss. Yes, I feel guilty about it, but I am sure I will get over it. And when I do, everything will be cupcakes and rainbows again. After a while and enough ignored call from Michael, it will all blow over."

"Missed calls? How many?"

"Fifty-six, but that's not the point."

"Jeez, Myung-hee. You've got the boy _hooked_. If he's called you that many times, he clearly has some strong feelings for you."

"Yeah, no kidding. I am always thinking about talking to him. And I _want_ to, just to straighten things out, but… wait. Wait, no it does not." I stare past Marilyn, piecing a few things together. "He has not mentioned anything about it, and he refuses to text me. It means nothing. Unless…" There it is, the last piece, and something clicks upstairs. I stare at Marilyn again with direct eye contact. "You know something, don't you?"

She shakes her head no.

"Marilyn." I demand.

"I don't."

 _"Marilyn."_

"I swear, I don't know anything. I don't." Her voice is higher than usual, a dead giveaway.

I go over to the ladder and pick up her bag. It's designer, Gucci, and it looks _really_ expensive. Perfect. I will hang it over the trees on the neighbor's side, and their dog craps there a _lot_. I know for a fact they don't pick up after the little yapping prick.

 _"Marilyn!"_

She stares at the bag with wide, shocked eyes. "You wouldn't."

I shift the strap to my pinkie, the very tip of my pinkie. "Marilyn…" I taunt her a bit threateningly.

"He told me he's never felt with any girl what he feels for you. He really wants to ask you out and is dying for you to become his girlfriend. He thinks you're really smart, very beautiful, talented and overall mesmerizing. And he thinks he knows for a fact that you're single, but he'll stop at nothing to get you." Her words came out in the fastest rush, not even a minor break for her breath, all to save one of the many loves of her life.

I stare at her, stunned and caught so far off-guard that my senses are having trouble keeping up with me. I bring her bag back over to safety and hold it out for her to take. I don't even look at her as she comes rushing forward, taking her bag and holding it to her chest lovingly. I start moving mindlessly, wrapping my mind around the confession. _Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}** He does have feelings for me. But… why? Boys around my age don't get feelings for a girl like me. Then again, Michael's older than he is. Eom-ma-ya, this is worse than I thought. I kissed him back. Oh Lord, I'm screwed. _"I messed up." I say to myself quietly, reflecting over it. "I mess everything up. I am so terrible. I am such a terrible person."

"You just need to tell Tom." Marilyn says. I suppose she is done reassuring the bag that is safe now. "Seriously, you need to talk to him about this. Keep avoiding it, and it's gonna get worse." As annoying as it is to admit, she is very much right. It's going to explode on my face if I don't bring it up now. And I take the pressure so well, as it is. "I'll even sit right next to you when you tell him."

I sigh heavily. I can't stand how right she is. But I need to call Tom. It is time to face my problem, like a brave one. I nod my head understandingly, defeatedly sitting right behind it. "Alright. I will talk to him. Later, though. Give me some time."

All of a sudden, I hear a loud honk coming from the street, I give Marilyn a confused look.

She shrugs her shoulders. She is just as clueless as I am.

I step to the right and lean over the short deck wall. The sound came from across the street.

Parked in front of the house across the street is a blinding-white Honda Accord with the door on the driver's side opened. First I see the shoe that hits the pavement, then the leg that belongs to it, and the rest emerges from the car.

My heart explodes in my chest at the site of my visitor. My eyes widen enough to rip the corners of the sockets open. I have never panicked so much in my life. "Why is _he_ here?" I whisper to Marilyn frantically.

"Remember you gave him my number a long time ago? Said if he needed anything, to call me because your phone died."

"Yeah…" I watched him walk across the street, clearly making his way towards my house.

"He texted me this morning. He wanted to know your address. I kind of, you know… gave it to him."

Breathing slowly becoming impossible. I can't. He needs to _leave. Now_.

"Marilyn?"

"Yeah?"

"I hate you."

"I know."

He stops halfway down the driveway the second he sees me staring at him. A wide smile stretches across his lips in sheer, genuine joy. He removes glasses and stretches his arms out to the sides, some form of saying "surprise!" to me. His eyes scream of excitement, just for me.

 _"O ani-yo, **{Oh no,}** "_ I say to myself in shock.

"Hello, darling." Tom says loudly.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 **Minor Character in the Story:**

* **Brenna D'Amico** as Marilyn Rivera

* * *

 **Chapter XXIII: I Missed You.**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

"Open the door!" Marilyn whispers, hands on her hips like an upset mother.

"Why can't you do it?" I ask her.

Her eyes widen. "It's your house, idiot!" She pulls out one of the kitchen chairs and sits down, ready for our little show to begin.

I am so desperate to avoid this that I actually resort to puppy eyes.

They work about this as well as trying to break a boulder with a feather; her glare burns into me like something unholy.

Hesitantly, I walk over to the door with confidence in my features and fear in my eyes. I take a deep breath and open the door for Tom.

"I thought you'd never let me in, love." He says. He hooks his glasses onto the collar of his bleached button-down shirt.

You could say that. "What are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were coming to visit." My voice couldn't sound any more enthusiastic. I am thrilled to see him here, but now I couldn't have been a worse time.

"I know. That's the point of a surprise." He grabbed me by the hips and pulled me into him, gazing into my eyes with crinkles at the sides of his from an ecstatic smile. "I missed you, darling." He leaned down to place a kiss on my lips.

So much panic enters me in that one moment; it could be classified as an anxiety patient's nightmare. I don't know what to do. I don't _want_ to kiss him. My conscience is stabbing me as he moves in closer. Such a high intelligence and the reaction I can come up with has to be the dumbest thing I have ever done. I turn my head to the side and dodge the kiss in a heartbeat. "I kissed someone else." I blurt out nervously.

His lips barely touch my cheek as he takes a second to register what I just said. "You what?" The anger I anticipated all this time isn't even there. It's more of a confusion and anything.

"I…" I turn my head slowly to look at him with fear. I don't even _want_ to see the hurt on his face. "I… I… kissed someone else. Another guy, I mean. I... I-I never kissed Marilyn. _Banchang-goleul beosda, **{Rip off the Band-Aid,}**_ I tell myself. _Gidalyeo eodiseo dangsin-eul delyeoganeunji boja. **{Let's wait and see where this takes you.}**_

The awkward silence does not even last five seconds before Marilyn buds in. "I'm sure as hell _hope_ you didn't!" She says in shock. "I know I can get drunk, but I don't get _that_ drunk."

"So you lied then." Tom states. He still has a stone-cold poker face on, and an emotionless voice to match it.

I bite my lower lip, the nerves chewing at its skin more than I am manually. Finally, I tore away from him and stepped back. "Tom, I am so sorry! I don't know what came over me! He was just… I was… I felt lonely! I missed you! He reminded me of you a lot. A _lot_."

"Who was it?" He asks me.

I felt my tears starting to fill up my eyes. "What does it matter?! I messed up, Tom! I made a promise to you, a promise." Here I go. The never-ending babble. My nerves and guilt are getting the best of me, and I can already tell I am going to look like a fool soon, but I cannot stop. If I stop, that gives him a chance to tell me how heartbroken he is. If I hear him say that, or anything _similar_ to it, I don't think I could live with myself. I can already feel the pressure of sadness building up in my chest. "Speaking of promises… You will probably want the ring back. That _bloody_ ring, I have tainted it. I know I have." My accent in saying the word 'Bloody' is a bit rusty than I expected.

"Bloody?" He smirks.

"Why would you even _think_ of giving it to me? A _child_ , that's what I am. You gave something expensive to a disloyal good for nothing-"

"Did you like it?" He asks as if I am not even in the middle of a self-loathing rant.

 _"Mwo? **{What?}** "_ I stop in my tracks and turn to face him. I hadn't even realized I had been pacing until now.

"The kiss. Did you like it?"

I thought back on the kiss. I did like it at the time but after a while, the memory was revolting to me. I won't be lying when I say. "No. Of course not. It was weird. It was not… _you_."

He held a hand out onto me, a questioning eyebrow raised.

I am not sure what kind of turn this is taking, but I take his hand and let him pull me in.

He took our hands and held them to his heart. He placed his free hand on my hip and leaned it for the sweetest, deepest, and most electrifying kiss. He kept it short, not losing the sight of the situation here. "It didn't feel like that?"

His kiss, as it always does, takes my breath away. I stare at our hands. "Far from that." I reply softly.

He smiles kindly, warming and healing my once-breaking heart. "Then there's nothing to worry about. You're still mine. I have no competition. Keep the ring. As long as I love you, and you love me, that kiss is void. Understand?"

Thinking back on the breakdown I just had, my lips slowly stretch into a silly smile then wipe the tears from my eyes. I started quietly to myself. "Talk about a mountain out of a mole hill, right?"

He chuckles. "I'd say. I was planning on taking you for a coffee or something." He looks at Marilyn. "I hope you'll be joining us. I think this is the first time we meet in person."

All the confidence drains from Marilyn's face as soon as the fact registered. "Holy crap, you're right. Oh my God, you're right…"

I watch the realization slowly grip her, hoping to everything I have that she does not scream.

"Well… Tom _freaking_ Hiddleston, oh my God… well, shit. You're definitely taller in person. And… _wow_. Definitely ginger now."

He runs the hand that isn't intertwined with mine through his hair subconsciously. "I'm afraid so. Future role called for it."

"It looks good on you, man… wow. You're hotter in person, too."

 _"Araso! **{Alright!}** "_ I cut this short before my fearless friend decides to take things further. "I think that's enough for that. You mentioned coffee, Tom."

"I did. Let's go." He stands at the door and gestures for us to head out first. "By the way, a kiss? Really, love?" he raises a questioning eyebrow at me.

"Shut up." I kiss him on the cheek as I pass him. "Your girlfriend's an amateur, remember?"

"Mm."

I am the first to get to his car, sliding into the front seat and pulling the door shut. Soon enough, everyone is in the car and buckled up. He speeds down the street, which I find it unusual. He is pushing the speed limit, and this isn't a safe place to do that. Which can only lead me to believe the obvious.

That kiss is not void.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

 **Minor Character in the Story:**

* **Brenna D'Amico** as Marilyn Rivera

* * *

 **Chapter XXIV: I'm Fine. (Tom's P.O.V)**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

She decided on ice cream rather than coffee. Something about a craving hitting her out of nowhere. And my love wishes is my command.

I pulled into the parking lot, the back of my car swerving slightly as I do so. I parked in the first free space there is and shut the car off. The ride was awkwardly silent, to my benefit. I wouldn't have been able to say anything. Ever since we left the house, I haven't had a rational thought. No, that's a lie. I had one rational thought.

 _How could she?_

"Are you coming?" Myung-hee asks me through the open window of the passenger door. I hadn't even heard her get out of the car.

I wave her away. I had her the fifty I had taken out sometime while we were on the road. "I've been meaning to give my sister a call. I'll catch up." I start reaching for my phone in the cup holder.

She nodded with a small smile. "Okay." She heads over to the short line at the counter, disappearing from my sight.

I grit my teeth angrily. I stare out the window into a little, green tinted world of my own. The image of Myung-hee appears in my head, as much as I try not to let it.

 _She runs to a man no more than a meter away from me. There is no face for me to identify him by; I can only see the back of his dark-haired head. He holds his arms out, ready to catch her if he needs to. As Myung-hee gets closer, he reaches out and takes her hand._

 _She pulls him into a passionate kiss, deep and long-lasting. His hands are all over her, caressing every bit of her being I refuse to touch until she lets me. She doesn't stop. She seems to be wanting him more. The man slowly removes the hem of the white summer dress that l liked from her shoulder and she has nothing underneath, completely revealed and offering everything she has to him._

I can't take it anymore. As I feel my anger rising within me, I begin pounding at my steering wheel with all my force, unrelenting. I fight to keep my mouth shut, not willing to let Myung-hee see me like this. She has enough problems, honestly. She doesn't need to see my anger like this.

Little did I know that it wasn't Myung-hee I should've worried about.

"You wanna talk?"

I spin around as far as my seat allows me and face Marilyn with a face reddened with rage and a bit of embarrassment. She sits and watches me with curiosity. "I thought you went out to get ice cream with Myung-hee?"

"I was too lazy, so I asked her to get me something. I said that, like three times."

"Ah. I didn't hear that. My apologies." I turn back into my original position. I stare down at my now-folded hands. I just threw a fit in front of her best friend. There's no doubt she'll tell Myung-hee. I should have been more careful. I'm such an idiot. A little part of me waits for her to say something, however, because I really do want to talk about this. But the majority of me still doesn't know whether to trust her or not. There's no worse way to find out I'm mad than to find out from someone else.

I hear the back door open, and my heart sinks to my stomach. She's on her way to tell Myung-hee.

But she doesn't, not at all. The passenger door opens, and Marilyn plops down onto the front seat. She gives me a friendly smile and eyes full of pity. "Talk, Tom."

"I'm fine. Really, I am. I'm just stressed from shooting. I don't-"

" _Talk_ , Tom." She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms over her chest. She's as persistent as Myung-hee described. She hasn't said much, but her whole body language at the moment speaks loud and clear: she's not going anywhere until I talk.

I take a deep breath and let it go. I still don't want to speak to her. I don't want her to run off and tell Myung-hee everything. I stare out the window at a pigeon perched on the back of a bench. "There's nothing to talk about."

Just then, she backhands me hard on the arm.

I flinch away, covering the burning spot with my hand. I look at her, bewildred.

"When I say talk, it usually means I know something's wrong. I can be dull, but I'm seldom oblivious. So I'm gonna try this again. _Talk. Now_."

I try not to, I really do, but why bother? I have no one to talk to, anyway. So I talk. "It's Myung-hee."

"Yeah, no shit." She smirks, lightening her comment by a _lot_. "What about Myung-hee?"

I bite my lower lip nervously. _She's got to find out sometime. Perhaps it'll be easier coming from Marilyn._ "What she told me… it's just really messing with me. That's all."

"Mm." She replies. It's not much, but it's a nice confirmation that she's listening. "I kind of figured."

I know my actions made it obvious, but I'd like to know what she caught on. "What gave it away?" I ask her in such a plain voice.

"Oh, I don't know. I mean, unless you were intentionally going to kill us, your driving was a big 'I'm fucking pissed off'. But I don't know. That could be just me."

I lick my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Myung-hee's face at the ice cream counter. I look at her immediately, wanting to see her beautiful face and hoping it doesn't anger me more. She's waiting for her order, it seems because she doesn't say anything. She only watches intently. I start to see her lips move, and they barely open enough to get a word out. I smile, amused; she's beatboxing to herself. She does it when she's bored or impatient. She might not know it, but I listen to her do it when she's waiting for me on FaceTime. She's rather good, really. "I don't want to lose her." I say quietly, afraid to admit it myself.

"Tom, it was just a kiss. Really. She told me everything."

"It's not even the kiss. It has nothing to do with the kiss. I kiss a ton of women. It's part of my career. Even she knows that. Or _she should_. We've discussed it enough times."

"So what is it, then?"

I study her entire body; what a beautiful woman she is. With a shapely body curving in the most perfect ways, her soft skin as white as snow, dark wavy hair falling past her shoulders (Honestly, if there was an upcoming movie about _Snow White_ , she would be the perfect choice for that role) a mask of innocence of happiness to cover how broken she really is. I couldn't ask for a better woman to love. If I lose her, I lose everything. And that just might happen. "She said he, whoever _'he'_ is, reminded her of me. A _lot_."

She's silent for a moment. I can only hope that means she's taking in my words. "Yeah, so?" She finally says.

I start playing with my thumbs. I'm saying too much, I know, but I don't want to stop. If I do, I will collapse before we can pull out of the lot. "So that means she has found someone like me. If that's the case…" My heart begins to pound. It's a fact I don't want to accept. But a vast imagination like mine will make me do so, regardless of the possible results. "If that's the case, she can replace me. If the long-distance thing doesn't work out as well as we want it to, as long as _I_ want it to, she'll have someone to run to." My heart is swelling. I know it. And I wouldn't be surprised if it bursts right now. "She'll be able to start again, and I fear I'll have nothing."

The moment of silence is too long for me to handle, but I forced myself to handle it. Myung-hee is paying. She'll be here any second. If I break down enough time to even _consider_ pulling myself back together.

To my surprise, I find two arms wrapped around me and a face pressing against my right shoulder as Marilyn hugs me tight. I don't want to hug her back. I can't. It'll only give me more reason to break down. She pulls back and pats me on the back reassuringly. "Everything will turn out fine. I know that for a fact. You two love each other too much. So much that I kind of hate your relationship with passion sometimes because I don't have it."

I glance at her, and relieved to see a playful smile on her face.

"You two are gonna fuck up a lot. Like, a lot. But once you get through this problem, the next one will be a breeze. You know, _assuming_ you two won't want to kill each other."

I chuckle. This is the first time I really meet Marilyn, and I already liked her. She's a great person. "Thank you." I say to her with a smile just as thankful.

She lightly punches me in the arm. "No problem, man. Now chin up. Myung-hee is coming."

I watch Myung-hee as she walks her way towards the car with two large ice cream cones. She does a silly little victory dance for Marilyn. Her friend opens the passenger door and gets out quickly. "They messed up the order, dude." She says to her. "Free ice cream. I gotta go back to get it." She looks at me. "You lied, babe. You didn't catch up. Do you want the third ice cream?"

I shake my head yes. "Please. I need something cold right now."

"I know how you feel. It's really warm today. Here." She hands an ice cream to Marilyn, and the other one to me. "Take this one. They're the same, anyway this one and the third one."

I take it from her, brushing my fingertips across hers. The little action alone set my heart racing.

"Okay, I will be right back." She runs back to the counter, not bothering to close the door.

As soon as she's out of earshot, "Michael." Marilyn blurts out.

"What?" I ask, confused. It was too random.

"It was Michael, damn it!"

She's getting closer to the car. As she does, I realize what she's talking about. "Michael De Soto?" I'm not sure, but it's as if the guilt pushed the confession out of her. Or perhaps she's just trying to help. I couldn't be any more grateful.

"Yes. Don't tell her I said anything. And your secret's safe with me!"

The car falls completely silent as Myung-hee slides into her seat. She pulls the door shut,

I start eating my ice cream quietly as if nothing happened. In that time, I decided it's time for me to really meet him, face to face. He needs to know of our "little problem".

Someone else's lips were on my girl. I'm going to have to fix that.


	26. Chapter 26

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* * *

 **Chapter XXV: I Will Fight You.**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

We dropped Marilyn off at home after ice cream and movie back at my house. Now he is taking me somewhere and not giving me a single hint about it.

"Can you please let the surprise be a surprise?" He says, amusement in his smile.

"No." I cross my arms over my chest. "For all I know, you could be on your way to break up with me." A tiny part of me really hopes that's not his intention at all.

He rolls his eyes and leans forward to look at the sky, now blazing with the colors of the sunset. "Just trust me on this."

"Tsh, fine. I will leave it alone." I look out the window and recognize the street we're on. I instantly think of the little ice cream shop at the end of it. "So what are we doing at-"

"It's not Sunny Daes." He cuts me off.

"Damn it." I whisper.

"Why would I bring you to get ice cream after we _just_ got already?"

I shrug. "I don't know! They've got milkshakes and stuff too, you know." I pouted as we drive right past Sunny Daes. _Naneun ajigdo baegopeuda. Naneun deo manh-eun aiseukeulim-eul saeng-gaghaji anh-ass-eulgeoya. **{I am still hungry. I wouldn't have minded more ice cream.}**_

He slows to a stop at the red light and switches his turn signal on. The click of it turns my head immediately, catching my attention; we are turning left. He plans on taking me to the beach.

He watches me. The defeated look on his face means he knows _exactly_ what I am doing. "Stop piercing it together."

I look away and can't help but smirk to myself. I stare out the window again. _Too late_.

He sighs audibly, but I sense no trace of anger. "I'm trying to surprise a genius." He pulls forward and takes that left.

"I am sorry, Tom." I can't even hide the wide smile my lips stretch into. "I didn't mean to. It just happens."

"Yes, I'm sure. Just watch. One day, I'll get you."

I snort softly. My competitive side peeks out for a second as I say. "Good luck."

We cruise down to the beach and pull into a parking spot on the far, more private end of the parking lot. He shuts the car off and tosses his keys into the cupholder. He obviously does not care what happens to the car because he shows no intention of locking it up.

"This is nothing compared to beach you took me to on our first date." I shut the car door once I am out. I move around to his side and take his hand. I study him as he stares out at the sunset. I didn't notice until now that he had an expensive-looking black Ray Bans on. He must have slipped it on after he parked.

It hit me out of nowhere; he's here. Tom's here, by my side, hand in mine. His skin is so warm, his grip so protective, the scent of him so intoxicating. He is as real as he'll ever be. He is here with me. And here I thought I forgot what happiness was. But something's a little off. His stare… it's like his mind's not even here. Tom will deny the hell out of it, but we both know the truth.

It's my fault. I broke his heart.

My heart sinks in my chest as I examine him even further, and what I thought was a beautiful sight is slowly turning into a nightmare. I tear my eyes away from him and point at the rocks. "Let's go over there." I suggested quickly. "Before the lifeguard comes back and ruins the fun."

He looks at me and shrugs. "I was actually hoping we could just, you know, sit in the sand. Enjoy the scene."

"Still tired from the plane ride?"

He yawns right on cue and nods his head yes.

"Alright."

We both make our way to the emptier side of the beach and sit down not too far from the shoreline. I sit between his legs and lean back against his body. His torso is much more muscular than I remember. He's been working out. I won't question him on it, of course. It's not like it's a _problem_. He wraps his arms around me and rest his chin on my head.

"I missed you so much." He says softly, pressing a gentle kiss to my hair.

"I missed you too. I thought I was going to lose it if I didn't see you soon." I lay my head against his upper arm. I feel so wrapped in him at the moment that a disaster could strike and I would still feel like the safest person in the world.

"School's over in five days." He intertwines his fingers with mine. "Are you still coming to live with me in England?"

I lean to my left and look up at him, studying his features. He seems slimmer than before. Still muscular, yes, but everything is so defined now. He looks… unreal. The pain I get from his problem, however, is very real. I have been giving the trip second thoughts since my incident with Michael. Still, I play it off like everything's okay. He still sounds like he wants me to go, so maybe everything _is_ okay. Maybe I am overthinking the kiss. No surprises there. "If you want me to." I reply. The slightest bit of hope enters my stare.

He leans down and kisses my lips softly. He pulls me back and looks me in the eye. "Of course, I do. I'd love for us to live together again, _much_ longer than last time."

I smiled, and I give him one more kiss. "Then I guess it's still a plan."

He smiles in return, flashing his pearly white teeth. "Good." He rests his chin on the top of my head once I look out to the ocean again. "I don't think I can go another day without hearing you sing softly first thing in the morning."

I blush. Just a little bit. I don't know why, but I do. I did not think he would say anything about that. "You… you could hear me?"

"Of course." He replied, and I could hear the small smile in his voice. "I always noticed. You'd go into the bathroom, humming while brushing your teeth, and sing while brushing your hair. I would stop and listen as soon as I left the room. You seem to prefer songs from musicals."

"Yes. They are a bit easier on my voice. Not as many riffs and all that."

"I agree. Your riffs are shit."

I grit my teeth and elbow him in the ribs with force. "Damn you." I can't even hide the smile he earns for that comment.

He laughs. "What? It's true!"

"I know!" I pouted with my lower lip, but I mean nothing by it. It's not like he's _wrong_. "You don't get to say it, though." I whine.

"I thought women liked honest men." He comments. "They also have trouble making up their minds, so I shouldn't be very surprised." Now he is just looking for a reaction. I can tell because he would never say things like that casually.

I sit forward and turn enough to look at him directly. "I will fight you." I warn him, eyebrows raised.

"Will you, now?" He's relentless. "You don't seem serious enough. I'm sure you wouldn't want to get hurt."

"I was thinking the same about you. Like I said before, _Mr. Hiddleston_. I was trained in jujutsu and judo at Martial Arts way back as a kid and I was once a champion in black bet. Don't underestimate me, babe. I am not some fragile doll… So fight me." I stand up and get my hands up in a defensive mode, challenging him.

He gets up quickly and gets in the position by his raising his fists up. His face has gone, a bit dark. Mischievous, even. "Bring it." he accepts.

By my first move I used _Kotegaeshi_ also known as the 'wrist twist' as I took his left wrist swiftly and bring his fist in front of me then rest my hand on top of it, move my other hand towards the floor behind his arm and I flipped him onto the sand leaving him with a pain yet surprised look. I may hurt him a bit hard but that doesn't mean I could damage something so beautiful.

He grunts at the impact I gave him as he stood up. I proceed to use the traditional way of swift punches. He grunts again as he tries to block my attack and fails. He knows I can be fast, faster than him when I wanted to be. He punches me twice in my stomach and swings a hook in my jaw.

I then use _Tai Sabaki_ from the hook, the most difficult yet effective technique to master. _Irimi. Tenkan. Kaiten. Kaiten. Irimi. Geu umjig-im-eul myeong, Myung-hee **. {Irimi. Tenkan. Kaiten. Kaiten. Irimi. Remember those movements, Myung-hee.}**_ As I took his arm that attacked me, begin to swiftly move around with his arm causing him to trip his foot as I flipped him again with a harder impact. By the time, he stood up slowly again, I have given him a few back pains. But even I was prepared for his attack.

He suddenly wraps his arm around my waist and swings me around in the air, before I could use another technique in defense…

 _"KYAH!"_

He puts me over his shoulder and starts walking towards the ocean.

I hit his back repeatedly, kicking my legs, struggle to break free. "Put me down!" I demanded through my gritted teeth. "This isn't fair!"

"You said 'fight'. You didn't specify, so this is my defense."

"Cheater." I stare down at the sand. Suddenly, I notice we are passed the shoreline. The sand gets darker… I know what he is doing. " _O ani-yo. **{Oh no.}**_ Don't you dare, Tom."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He tightens his grip on me because he knows that I will start to struggle even harder.

I can hear his devilish grin. I am going to kill him. He will die with that devilish grin.

He pulls me down, doesn't let me touch the ground, and faces me towards the water. He starts to swing me back and forth, taunting me like the asshole he is.

"Don't you dare!" I can't hold back the laughter that comes with the nervous smile on my face. "Put me down. Put me _down_!" I kick my legs out, hopefully making him struggle enough to knock him back a little. The weather is _not_ nice enough for this.

"Does this mean I win?" he asks. He stops the swinging for a moment.

" _Ani-yo! **{No!}**_ This means you are an _ass_!" I start by trying to pull his arms open.

"You seem to be a bit heated there, _Athena_." His voice is smooth, deep and too sexy to be evil. It could have thrown me off if I didn't value the dryness of my clothes so much. "Perhaps a swim will do." He steps closer to the water and starts swinging me again.

" _Araso! **{Alright!}**_ Fine! You win. Please put me down."

He chuckles and places me back on my feet on the lovely dry sand. He takes me by the hips and pulls me in, our fronts pressing together causing me to blush at this intimate position. Both of us are a bit heated from exertion, but the extra warmth does not bother me in the slightest.

"I wouldn't have thrown you in there." He says with a smile, gazing deeply into my eyes.

I give him a look of disbelief. "Yeah, okay." I wrap my arms around his and pull him down to my lips. He gives me a soft response, but I don't want soft. Nobody's got the _time_ for soft. I dig my fingers into his curly hair and deepen the kiss, pressing further into him. If possible, of course.

"I love you." He exhales, slipping his hands up under my shirt. The pads of his fingers electrify the nerves they glide over as he caresses my sides.

I can feel my skin heating by the second, but separating will not help me. I need more. " _Judo Sarang haeyo_. **_{I love you too.}_** _"_ I whisper. I know he understands the words I say as I grind my hips into him, creating a friction where intimate needs to be. In the intensity of the moment, I remember something I have really wanted to do for a long time now. I have never done it before, so my small knowledge in intimacy from novels and movies is all I am running on now. I stray from his lips and lead a trail of soft, teasing kisses down his neck.

His head tilts back with the sensation, an approving moan escaping his lips. His heart is pounding; I can feel it in the pulse as I press a kiss over. _"Myung-hee."_ He whispers my name so precious in his lips.

I lead down to his collarbone and press a slightly open-mouthed kiss just below it. I peek up at him, walking his breaths as they get heavy and his eyes as they flutter closed. Finally, I press my lips to the same spot and suck on it lightly.

He hisses a little, but it does not sound like pain. Thankfully, it sounds a lot like pleasure. It would be pleasure when he sees the mark I leave. But right now, I think it is driving him wild.

I pull off and give him butterfly kisses over it. I press one more kiss to it, then reoccupy his mouth.

He nips at my lower lip, running his tongue over it. "Did you just mark me?" The lust in his voice is a note I had never heard before. I really don't know if I have to bring it out again. I am still a bit new to this kind of intimacy.

I stare into his eyes. "Maybe." I reply soft with a teasing yet innocent smile behind it.

"You better hope it's not dark." That threat is emptier than I thought. "It'll be a bitch for the makeup girls to cover up."

I raise an eyebrow bring my hand between us and cross my fingers. "Here's hoping."


	27. Chapter 27

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

* **Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* **Jake T. Austin** as Himself

* * *

 **Chapter XXVI: Take Me Home.**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

"Jeez." I groan. We pulled up to a house halfway up the street from mine half an hour ago. I was supposed to go home then, but my parents are already there. I really don't want to have to deal with that yet. "I don't want to go home yet."

Tom shrugs. "I would love to keep you, but I should be getting to bed." He glanced at the time; it was already eight-forty-seven p.m. Neither of us had realized were out for that long. "I pan on taking you out tomorrow. I'd rather do so well-rested."

"I have school tomorrow. And I can't skip anymore. I am so close to graduating. I can't mess it up."

He smiles. "I know. I meant after school. I'll pick you up, and we'll have the afternoon to ourselves." He takes my hand and just holds it. I never knew such a simple feeling could make me feel so elated. "I'm even going to leave my phone at the hotel. Which is a big deal because I have a horrible addiction to Flappy Bird." He keeps a straight face, but I know he's lying… I mean, he has to be… is he? Nevermind. Not the point.

"Is it the original?" I tease. "If it isn't the original, I don't want to hear about it." I turn my head away from him in a "Tsundere" fashion.

"Only the best for my love." He raises my hand to his lips and presses a long kiss to the back of it. After a second, he begins a trail of them up towards my arm, causing my cheeks to feel red and sending tingles down my back.

I work to keep my breaths even. _Not yet_ , I reminded myself. _In time_. The goosebumps that raise on my skin, of course, give me away in a heartbeat. He quickly moves up to my neck and places open-mouth kisses to it. Now I am positive he will feel the NASCAR motor that is currently my heart.

Just as I feel a small innocent moan on the verge of escaping, I calmly push him away enough for him to get the hint.

He stops, as per request, but that does not mean he isn't confused. "What is it? Did I do something?"

" _Ani-yo!_ **_{No!}_** I mean, nothing bad." I laugh nervously. _How do I tell you are making me horny in a mature manner?_

"Temptation is getting a little strong. That's all." _'Temptation'. Naneun geugeos-eul joh-ahanda. Naega jib-e dol-agal ttae naneun bolam-eul neukkinda. **{'Temptation'. I like that. I am rewarding myself when I get home.}**_

He raises an eyebrow, and a teasing smirk stretches across his lips. "I'm that good?"

I roll my eyes and scoff softly at the time. I can't believe he is playing cocky now. "Don't flatter yourself. I am still dealing with my _growing_ hormones. Simply poking lights me up."

"Mhm." He replies, clearly not believing me. But he puts his hands up in surrender regardless. "Alright. I'll respect your choices." He leans back into the driver's seat and gives me space.

I nod my head. "Thank you." I look ahead of us, at the traffic lights as they switch from yellow to red. I take a side glance at Tom and find that he is doing the same thing. I take this opportunity to look over him; he has changed so much. And definitely for the better. The regret of stopping our activities slowly starts sneaking up on me. Such a long, perfect body and I have forbidden myself from touching any of it. Damn my values.

I realize we have been sitting in silence longer than I am comfortable with and decided it's time for me to go. As much as I hate to leave, I really am starting to miss my bed. I kiss him goodbye and leave the car.

He rolls down the window as soon as I am out. "So I'll see you tomorrow, then?" He asks me.

"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow then. Babe." I started to walk away when I realized he hasn't told me where we're going. _Naega mueos-eul ib-eoyahaneunji geuege mul-eoyahabnikka? **{Should I ask him what I should wear?}**_

"Nothing too casual, love!" He calls out before pulling away from the sidewalk.

 _Well, that answer that question_. I started heading for my house, thinking about what we could be doing tomorrow. _Ama nal chillelo delyeo gaya haljido molla. **{Maybe he should take me to Chili's again.}**_

~o~

I scan through the "Fiction" bookcase of the school library, hoping to find a book that interests me enough to take it out. I have already read through everything I've got, online and physical. I need another made-up world to occupy my time. I come across a titleless black book at the end of the shelf and remove it out of sheer curiosity.

My curiosity, unfortunately dies out immediately as soon as I see a familiar face on the other side of the bookcase. I can't tell if my heart swells or drops, but I know neither of them are because of anything good.

"I was just about to grab that book." Michael said. I have never seen him look so shy and timid.

I shrug and put the book back in place. "You can take it." I tell him. I can only hope my tone sounds emotionless as it feels. "I don't even know what it is."

He removes it from the shelf and comes around to my side. "It's called the _Bane Chronicles._ It's about warlocks and Shadowhunters. I think it belongs to the _Mortal Instruments_ , actually."

I stay quiet. A big part of me just wants him to leave at the moment, and I hope he catches on quickly.

He quickly flips through the pages then tips the book towards me. "Here". He says in defeat. "You might like it more than I will."

I nod my head no. "It's fine. Take it." I gently push the book away.

He scoffs as though I have just insulted him. He drops the book in the return bin as we pass the librarians' counter. "Okay." He begins, "first, you don't talk to me in, what, a week? And when I finally get to talk to you, you give me the cold shoulder."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." I started digging through my book bag, pretending to be doing something important. Anything to avoid looking at him. "Look. I have to go to class. I can't afford another tardiness this time."

I am not two steps out of the door before he steps in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.

I look at him as though he's lost his mind. The seriousness in his eyes is the most intense I have ever seen in him. I don't know why he is acting this way.

"Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about." I try to step around him, but he blocks my way yet again. I let out a heavy, annoyed sigh. "Michael, seriously. There _is_ nothing to talk about."

"You kissed me back, Athena." He raises an eyebrow. "But you act like I'm the one who is wrong here. What the hell?"

 _"Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}** "_ I tuck my hair behind my ear and slightly bit my lower lip, two signs of the oncoming stress I _really_ don't want to deal with right now. "You are not the one who is wrong here. Look, don't worry about it. Mistakes have been made. Let them stay in the past." Right as the words leave my lips, I realize how much worse I just made the situation.

I can see the word hit his head like a bullet. The hurt that reforms his face did nothing to help my sudden guilt. "So kissing me was a mistake." He says.

I fidget in my spot, figuring out a way to save this from taking a downward spiral. "No, not a mistake. Mistake was a terrible word. I…" I let out a heavy sigh. _I was bound to have this moment sooner or later._ "I didn't mean… to kiss you. Okay? I… you are too much of a friend for me to see you that way."

He stares down at the floor as if thinking something through, a sure sign that this won't be the ending anytime soon. "A friend." He repeats.

"Yes." I confirm. "A friend."

He nods his head disapprovingly. He is not taking this. "I can change that, you know. I-I can show you that I'm worth more than a friend."

I close my eyes and sigh deeply then look straight at him. This boy's not following. "I do not doubt that you are. I am just… not interested. I am sorry."

He chews on his lower lip. The nerves are now hitting him as hard as they are hitting me. But, even though all of this, he is still wearing the thinking look. Finally, seeming to come to a conclusion, he shakes his head. "No, no, there's something more. Something you're holding back."

 _You mean the fact that I have a secret boyfriend I love very, very much?_ How I wish I could just say that and end this now. But that would be a foolish thing to do, not to mention he will think I am lying. "You know what? I am not feeling this right now. I am not interested in anything more than a friendship. You are a great guy, and some girl will appreciate that and want a piece of it. That girl is not me… I am so sorry." I walk around him, grateful that he does not step in my way, and make me walk towards class.

 _Why today? Why? No, correction: why ever?_

I made it to class five minutes after the bell, but that doesn't even matter. There is a sub today. And _Thank God_ , it is the laziest sub in the school. Technically, English has just become a free period.

I am in the middle of a great Naruto fan fiction when I feel my phone buzzing up a storm. I try my hardest to ignore it—continuously reading one of my ultimate favorite couples in the anime world _"SasuSaku"_ (meaning "Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno"), and it is _good_. But it is way too distracting, so I lean back from my laptop and get ready to scold someone. Nine messages, both from Tom and _from_ Michael. _Great._ I decided to read Tom's first message:

\- _I found a place you might like, and it's fairly casual. A nice shirt and jeans will do, maybe a skirt will do too ;)._

\- _And a jacket. Definitely a jacket._

\- _Would you hate it if I said I was Gryffindor?_

\- _Robert might call you about tagging along. If you love me, you'll say no._

\- _Quick question: you don't have anything against dogs, right? Specifically Golden Labs?_

I raise an eyebrow at my phone, wondering what the _hell_ Tom is smoking. I decided to only pay attention to the first question since it's the one that pissed me off the most. My attire today consists of a plain checkered skirt (this is the first time I wore a damn skirt in this school, due to a few of my pants are still in the laundry), a _"ridiculous"_ white thin knitted turtle neck sweater (my eomeoni made this for me out of "love". _Ugh_.) And a leather beige jacket with a knitted light brown beanie on my head. The only fashion I like today, are these boots I am wearing that Tom gave me. I honestly look like a middle school girl in this outfit, but to my eomeoni and Marilyn, they think I look so _"adorably cute"_ in this silly outfit. Not to mention, my hairstyle is twin braids in front of my shoulders. God, my eomeoni was the one who took care of my hairstyle, for the reason why I let her do it is just so she could rather spend a mother-daughter time with me. _What am I, a customized doll or something?_ He better be ready to make a stop at my house. I quickly send my reply.

 _You tell me this NOW?_

Once the message say "Delivered", the reluctance kicks in. I don't want to deal with Michael anymore. His persistence is turning him into an annoying jerk. I don't like when my friends turn into annoying jerks… save for Marilyn. She came into my life that way. Eventually, I decided to avoid it, this will only make it worse and open the messages.

\- _U kissed me back, dude. U can't honestly think I'd let this go. If u didn't mean to do it, then why did u? U know there's something more, and u won't accept it. At least tell me what was going on through ur head when we kissed, please._

\- _Not even a reply? Srsly? Ok I see how it is. That's real nice of you. Real nice._

\- _Ok fine, I realize I'm coming on really strong. I'm just confused, and… look. I have strong feelings for u. Ur cute… adorable… More beautiful even. Is that weird? And ur funny, and ur a bookworm, and ur talented af. I'm fucking bad at this lol. Just talk to me? plz? I won't be so forceful about it._

\- _Plz answer me. We need to talk. It's driving me insane, you can't tell me u didn't feel anything. Answer plz._

His messages do nothing more than aggravate me. I want him to just forget about all of it and act like it never happened. But, seeing as he just confessed his feelings to me in an unnecessarily long text, chances of that happening are looking slimmer. Finding it difficult to think of a reply, I close out the app and push my phone away. I would never wanted a school day to go by so fast.

It takes two agonizing long hours, but I finally make it to the last bell. Last bell means freedom, and freedom means seeing Tom's face as he waits for me in the back of the school. Not the front, _definitely_ not the front. We learned our lesson the first time.

I move with the rushed flow of the entire school as the building drains out in a matter of minutes. I hold my bag close to me, as usual. My paranoia is too high with these convicts-in-the-making. I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, but I am afraid to answer it. It could either be Tom or Michael. I find that a fifty-fifty chance I don't want to take. I hurry down the stairs all the way to the bottom floor and burst through the double doors barely anyone uses.

I am not even outside for ten seconds before I hear my name shouted by my favorite British voice. I look in its direction, and I see Tom waving at me. He's wearing a thin black hoodie with the hood up, a bleached-white t-shirt, a pair of faded blue jeans, and a pair of pitch aviators. If no one stares at him because they recognize him, they will stare at him because he is the most beautiful creature even in a low-key outfit. I smile at him and head for the car, looking forward to my day with him.

That is, I was until someone steps directly in front of me.

The appearance is such a surprise that I stumble backward, hitting my butt on the cemented ground, it's a good thing I have recyclable shorts under my skirt. I don't want anyone to see what's really underneath, that would be too uncomfortable. I look up at the face in confusion, squinting as the sun glares right behind his head. Finally, I make out the face: Michael, of course. I look down at the ground blush heating my cheek out of… God, I don't even know right now. There are so many emotions rushing through me, and none of them are enjoyable. I stood up from the ground and pat at the back of my skirt to remove the dirt. "Excuse me." I say calmly, though my impatience can't be missed.

"Talk to me. Let's straighten this out." He crosses his arms over his chest, probably waiting for me.

I look up at him again, this time shielding my eyes from the light with my hand. "Straighten what out? Everything I had to say was said earlier. Let it go."

"You're holding back something, and you know it!" I can feel his impatience too. His aura is dripping with it.

I see Tom's face over his shoulder. The pleasure of seeing me has clearly disappeared, but I can't tell _what_ he is feeling at the moment; the damn glasses are covering his eyes. He's used to those blue orbs to emote for so long in acting that it becomes the only way to really identify his emotions. From what it seems, he is just in a patient state while he waits for me to settle this. I return my attention to Michael, and I gave him a glare even Death would fear. _You must be hard of hearing, because you are not this stupid._ "I am sorry. I guess you're right. I forgot to mention how much of a _friend_ I see you as one. Oh wait, I _really_ did. Excuse me." I push him out of the way and continue making my way to the car.

Michael grabs my arm and pulls me back, the force of it turning me to face him.

I glare at his hand, then at his face. I can feel the urge to flip him over hard on the ground. "Can you seriously _not_?" I twist his hand off in a fluid movement and practically throw it back to him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!-"

"Is there a problem here?" Tom shows suddenly on my left, seemingly to look in Michael's direction.

I look at him with wide eyes. _Tom, stop._

"No, man. I disrespected, which I take a total responsibility for." He gives me an apologetic look. He holds his hands up, proving that means no harm. "It's all good, man."

"Yes, everything's _fine_." I subtly nod my head towards the car. _I've got this_. Unfortunately, it does not even look like he can pick it up; he hasn't even looked in my direction since he approached us.

Tom raises an eyebrow. Curiosity. _Finally_ , I can read _something_. "I don't know, man. Things don't seem to be 'all good'."

 _Tom_ , I mouthed out. Still no reaction. I do not like where this is going.

Michael smiles, but it's more amusement than the friendliness, if there is any friendliness at all. "Look, I'm not touching her. No one's getting hurt. You can back off now."

"If you expect me to back off, you're one interesting guy. She's been telling you the same thing. Why should anyone listen to you when you can't even listen to her?" He steps closer and there's no mistaking his intentions. He's angry, _very_ angry, and he is ready to get hostile. The muscles in his face tense up immediately, and his jaw visibly flexes.

Michael is never one to step down in fear. He squares up to Tom, becoming just as angry. Well, maybe not _as_ angry.

I notice too many heads turning in our direction, interested to know what is going on here. My anxiety tightens my chest with the thought of these two causing a scene. My brain finally gets my body to react. "Stop it!" I snapped. I quickly step in and pull them apart with all my strength. "That's enough! Break it up _now_!"

Their testosterone-raging bodies may part, but their fiery glares don't break for a second. I keep a hand on each of their heaving chests until I feel it's safe to let go. "Take me home." I almost begged him with a soft tone, looking at Tom.

His jaw flexes again as he takes the fact that he won't be fighting Michael today.

 _"Now."_ I pushed him back a little, speeding up the collecting-himself process. Finally, becoming the bigger man I need him to be at the moment, he backs away and heads for the car. He shoves his hands into his pockets and keep his eyes glued to the ground.

I turn back to Michael. I looked at him with a furious glare. "Let it go. You let it go, or I swear to _everything_ in God's name I will hate you until the end of time. And I _really_ don't want to hate you."

The rage in his eyes was slowly dissolved by the realization of what he's done. He opens his mouth to say something, but not a single sound comes out from him.

"You are better than this, Michael." I let those words to be last on the subject, and I storm towards the car, more eyes on me than I want to be aware of. It wasn't a huge audience, but it was enough to want to shrink into nothing and never be seen again. I get into the passenger's side and slam the door shut. I cross my arms and stare straight ahead. I am so overheated right now, I can feel the bead of sweat form on the back of my neck.

Without a question, a word or _anything_. Tom drives out of the school parking lot and takes the turn to my house.

Tears ball up uncomfortably in my throat and sting the back of my eyes. The need to scream is too strong and I know _exactly_ who I am directing it at.

We drive in silence for five minutes before Tom pulls over into a parking spot and shuts the car off.

My teeth are so unbelievably clenched, I am surprised none of them have shattered under pressure. I have dug crescents into my palms with my dull nails, but I suppose that's better than burying them in somebody's skin. "Park." I nod towards the park across the street, a small patch of green land with a few trees, but big and shielded enough to, you know possibly kill someone.

"Talk to me, he-"

 _"Park! Now!"_ I shot up out of the car and threw the door shut, the sound of the impact sure does hurt his ears. I storm off to the park, letting the fresh air cool me down. I hear him follow behind me, throwing the door shut a lot more softly than I did. I jaywalk across the intersection and walk directly onto the freshly-cut grass. I run my hands through the covered hair in my beanie and inhale deeply. The expansion of my lungs is so relaxing, and the seething rage rushing around my mind dies down with the sensation of a cold breeze entering my nose. I stop in front of an old green bench, the paint chipped away by the various types of weather over the years.

He sits down on the bench and leans forward, his elbows planted on his knees for support.

"Take the glasses. Your flaming locks will protect you."

He reluctantly removes his glasses and pushes his hood off his head. He drops the aviators to the ground carelessly.

I struggle to find the words calm enough to start with.

"You… it's … Where in the world did _that_ come from?" Yep. That'll do. "Did it even occur to you the charges you would be facing if you were to lay one on him? Were you thinking of where you _were_? How you were _acting_? Because, let me tell you, it did not look like you were even _you_ anymore."

He exhales loudly through his nose. He digs his fingers into his hair. "I got angry. I got… He was disrespecting you! I couldn't stand by. And when he grabbed you, I lost it. It's… I don't like when people touch my property."

I raise an eyebrow at his choice of words.

As soon as he realizes what he said, which is not very long after he said it, he raises his hands in defense. "No! Not property! Never property! I mean, you're _mine_. My woman. Not like… ah, _fuck_ …" He rubs his face free of the stress and fear.

I wave it away slightly. I didn't plan on taking it personally in the first place. "I know what you meant, I really do." I reassure him. I sit down next to him and watch as he reverts back to his dorky, flustered self. "Not to mention… you lied to me. To my face."

"I know."

"You said you were not jealous. 'The kiss is void'. I think you said. Why would you lie to me when you knew you were taking it badly?"

"Because it was stupid kiss you clearly give no extra thought to, and it's childish of me to be treating it like anything more. It's the cruelest feeling I've ever felt, and I don't know what to do with myself. It's bizarre. It's painful. It's-"

"—because you love me." I finish his words for him.

He looks at me then, and his eyes are slightly red around the rims. "More than anything."

I scoot over to him and press my forehead against his. I watch as he closes his eyes and takes in the feel of me and my comfort. He takes deep breaths.

After giving him a moment to calm down. I lean forward a little and give him a light peck on the lips. I chew on my cheek awkwardly. _Ije mwo? … Eojjeomyeon nanuen gibun-eul gabyeobgehaeyahanda. **{Now what? … Maybe I should lighten the mood.}**_ "Do you love me more than baked potatoes?" I ask him.

He pulls back and looks at me as though I have gone insane. "Piss off. Nothing comes between me and my baked potatoes."

I roll my eyes and scoff in a mock offense at the same time. " _Fine!_ I hope _you_ and your potatoes are happy together!" I shoot up from the bench and start making my way towards my house. But he takes my hand and guides me back to him. I turn to him, hesitant, but I don't exactly resist him. I step in front of him, straddle in his hips and rest my hands on his chest.

I slightly widen my eyes and blush madly when he holds me by the hips, massaging them deeply with his thumbs. I suddenly realized that I am wearing a skirt and my upper thighs are bare. If he touches there, I would go crazily hot, not just my cheeks but my whole body. He stares up at me, studying my face.

My blushing expression immediately changes as I raise an eyebrow. "This doesn't mean you are forgiven." I pointed out. Though I doubt that will be true for long.

He smiles sadly, seeming to accept that fact. "Understandable. I acted like an idiot."

I nod my head. "Yes, you did. An even bigger idiot than usual."

He shrugs. "Yeah. I always become one when I'm around with beautiful women." He winks at me.

I pretend to look around us. " _Ehhh…_ But I don't see one around."

"Very funny." He cups the back of my neck with his hand and pulls me down to his lips.

I kiss him hungrily, relieved that the stress is quickly slipping away from us.

Tom was the first to let go of our intense kiss. "By the way…" He looks at me with a smirk on his face. "You look very cute today in that outfit… but also _sexy_ too." He faces down at my skirt.

I blush rosy red when he said that as I look away from him and place my hands at the middle of my skirt. "Shut up." I can hear Tom's deep chuckle as I pouted.

 _What a bloody pervert…_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

 ***Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* * *

 **Chapter XXVII" I Know What Game I'm Playing.**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

Where he finds the spots that he finds is beyond me, but I have yet to be disappointed by any of them. We went to a bowling place in Norwalk, where we spent hours and dollars on numerous rounds (and I annihilated his ass over and over, and over again). After burning through two pizzas and a pitcher of Sprite, were exhausted and called it a night. As soon as we left, I declared it one of my favorite dates. I had never laughed so much in my life.

"I _slipped._ Alright? I would've gotten the strike if the damn floor wasn't so slippery." Tom fights back a smile as he defends his defeat with what I know to be lies. "Unless _you_ made them slippery. You put ice down the back of my shirt. It must've fallen out when I tossed the ball."

I roll my eyes. "That's not how it works, Tom. And if you did slip, I highly doubt it was so bad that you rolled it _into the other lane_."

He opens his mouth to argue, and not a single sound comes out. The smile has broken through, at last. He knows there's no covering it up. He seems to freeze like that for a moment, thinking of a response, then gives up with a heavy sigh.

"I thought so." I taunt.

"Oh hush. You farted on your second to the last shot."

 _"Eh?!"_ My eyes widen. Naturally, embarrassment causes anxiety to quicken my heart rate. " _A-Ani-yo. { **N-No}**_ I didn't."

"Ah, but you _did_! 'Jacket zipper' my arse." He smiles so widely, enough for me to knock out his pretty _teeth_ if I wanted to.

But I love him too much to ruin his money-maker, so I hope to punch him in the shoulder instead. "I thought you wouldn't hear it! Leave me alone." I cross my arms over my chest and shrink into myself shyly.

He laughs, slightly reveling. I am sure, in the fact that he's won this argument. He claps his right hand on my bare thigh causing me to flinch in surprise with a blush on my cheeks but still not looking at him as he rubs his thumb and forth on my thigh. "Oh, Myung-hee. It's going to take quite a bit more than flatulence to stop me from loving you."

I twitch my eyebrow in annoyance for the sound of the word makes me cringe. There are many words in the English language that I feel shouldn't exist, and that is definitely one of them. "Can we not say 'flatulence'? It is such a weird word."

"Flatulence? What do you want me to say? Gas? Farts? Toots, perhaps? No, never mind. I'm not calling them 'toots'. I just weirded out myself."

"Yes, you know the feeling now. Gas is fine. Gas sounds more comfortable." I remove my white knitted sleeve from my arm and study my wrist, and I am not liking all the blank space on it. Of course, there's a solution for that. A painful one, but one I would not mind going for. "I am think of getting a tattoo" I tell him, just as out-of-the-blue for me as I am sure it is for him. "On my wrist. Nothing too big."

"Don't damage your skin like that." He argues. I expected he would. "You're beautiful the way you are. You don't need a permanent mark like that."

"Just a little one! It's not like I want to get a sleeve or something." I trace my index finger lightly along a light-blue vein going down to my wrist. "Yes, something small."

He lets out a sigh so quiet, I am surprised I was able to hear it. It's a sigh of surrender, which happened way faster than usual. Is he finally done arguing with me about everything? "Like what?"

"I don't know… Your name."

" _Hell_ no."

"What? Why not?" part of me said it just to get a reaction out of him. But the other part is kind of hurt he would reject the idea so quickly, so surely. "I think your name in Korean on my wrist would look fine, _hangul_ to be the exact. Or our ship name, as soon as I can come up with one." I smiled innocently. I have not thought of making a ship name for us. This should be fun

"Oh, no. No more ship names. No more shipping _anything_. I drew the line at Hiddlesworth."

I giggle, amused. "You can't even lie. They fit so perfectly." Just then, the name came to me as easily as the breeze.

"Parkeston."

"It sounds like the village's _name_ in England."

"Is that bad?"

He shrugs. "It's not as bad as Hiddlespark."

"You were thinking of one, too?" I swoon.

"I couldn't help it. You presented me with a good challenge."

I leaned over as far as I can and plant a kiss on his cheek. "How sweet. But yeah, that's absolutely terrible. I like Parkeston better."

"Parkeston it is."

I hadn't even noticed where we are until I saw what looked to be a valet up ahead. I look up at the building, instantly recognizing it as the Hilton Hotel. "Why are we here?" I asked curiously as I unbuckled my seat belt.

"This is where I've been staying. I know you hate being at home, so I thought I'd bring you here for a little while." He gets out of the car, but dips his head in before he closes the door. He hands me a pair of black aviator shades.

"Eh? Really?" I shouldn't be protesting. He and I know exactly why I need to wear sunglasses.

"Please wear them. I don't feel like taking that kind of risk today."

I reluctantly take them from him and slide them on. I fix my hair so my frontal fringe bangs stay on top of the shades and my side locks fall into the each on my cheeks. _Igeos-eun kkamagwilo hwolssin swiul geos-ibnida._ **{ _This would be so much easier with a hoodie.}_** _Naneun geuga naleul deo iljjig gyeong-gohaess-eumyeon johgessda. **{I wish he would have warned me earlier.}**_

Before I can reach for the handle, the door opens up wide for me, a red-headed man in a black uniform waiting patiently.

"Thank you." I say to him, and I get out of the car. I move to Tom's side quickly and walk with him through the glass doors.

Inside is a dream in cream—oh, I like that. I think I will use it in a story. Cream-colored walls with furniture to match, and a white marble floor underneath our feet. The forest green plants in their beautifully-designed brown pots are a beautiful contrast, giving the lobby a bit more variety of color. There are very few people around, most sitting and reading in the little cluster of expensive thick-cushioned furniture directly across from the entrance.

 _"Uwa. **{Wow.}** "_ I say softly, the only response I think fits the situation. "I see where our tax dollars are going."

"I hardly think the Hiltons need tax money to get this done."

He reaches for my hand, and I move it away with a disapproving nod. "Not yet."

He pulls his hand back and shoves both of them into his pockets. "Right. Reflex. I'm sorry."

I follow him to the elevator, resisting the urge to look around me. I would love nothing more than to take a second to admire the interior design, but I don't exactly have that privilege at the moment. I stop at the elevator when he does, staring at my blurred, distorted reflection as he presses the "up" button. "What floor are you on?"

"Five. It's a nice suite. A living room, a bedroom and a kitchen. And a bathroom, obviously."

" _Araso, **{Alright,}**_ rich boy. I see your point." I smile, shooting him a teasing side-glance.

"Shut up." he says, and not a single person could miss the smile in his voice even if they wanted to."

" _Ani-yo. **{No.}**_ I am going to have fun with this, Jonathan Pine." I don't know why I am picking on him so much, but if it has anything to with the heat pooling in my stomach and, _ehem,_ lower 'innocent' region, I can suspect what my filterless mouth is playing at.

He chuckles, but the sound off a more mischievous vibe than an amused one.

The elevator opens finally, and we step through at the same time. We both turn to face the lobby, and I thank God, whoever's running the show that there's no one coming to join us.

"Keep it up, and I'll show you exactly how Pine can shut you up." All the playfulness has disappeared from him. I can see him eyeing me in the reflection, licking his lower lip. He knows I am watching him too, because he is now directly into my eyes.

The elevator makes its way upward, but my heart drops down to the basement with an intense rosy blush on my cheeks. _I ellibeiteoneun jeongmallo ttatteushaejigo issseubnida. **{This elevator is getting really warm.}**_

As soon as the doors open on his floor, I speed out of the elevator, not bothering to ask what room he is in.

He gives a breathy laugh that sends tingles down my spine.

There is too much on my mind. No, correction: There is only one thing on my mind, and it's extremely overwhelming. I know what game I am playing: I have been considering it for a while. But in all of honesty, I never expected to actually go through with it. But I suppose now is a better time than never. The question is if I want it, and how far I am willing to take it.

God, I wish this decision were easier.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

 ***Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* * *

 **Chapter XXVIII: He Is The One.**

 **~o~**

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 **~o~**

The suite, no surprise, has the same color scheme as the lobby. It is just as elegant, too. I gravitate towards the living room, a simple setup with a sectional and one of those curved flat-screen TV in front of it. I suppose it's best they didn't make it too flashy. As it is, nobody would want to leave this place. Talk about luxury.

"You can sit down, you know!" Tom calls out jokingly. "The only thing dangerous about the couch is how comfortable it is. You'll never want to get up again."

I am too busy being amazed." I call back.

He responds with a light chuckle and falls silent again.

I run my hand across the back of the leather couch. It feels so much nicer than it looks, and it is nice and cool from the air conditioning circulating through the room. With the texture now on my mind, I decided I want to feel how soft the carpeting is. I remove my leather jacket first as I placed it on the couch, zip my boots off and slide off my socks then press my feet to the ground. Nothing has ever felt so heavenly. The pressure in my soles from walking eases up with the new, more tolerable surface. _"Uwa. **{Wow.}** "_ I whisper to myself, reveling in the peaceful state I am currently in. I hurry around the end of the sectional and practically throw myself onto the cushions. I sink into it almost a second after, and it feels _amazing_. It's like my worries are melting away. Of course, knowing me, they will be back soon. They always come back.

Tom finally comes out of the room and makes his way to the couch. "Sorry about that. I was suffocating in those clothes." He leans over the back of the couch and stares at me, a smirk on his face. He is now wearing a white undershirt, which means he has changed into his pajamas and is wearing his favorite sweatpants. "I see you've made yourself comfortable." He teases.

"I don't wanna get up." I groan, enjoying the feel of being on a cloud.

He gives a breathily laugh as he watches me in my tiny bit of paradise. "I told you. As soon as I settled into the room, I slept on the couch. Best sleep of my life, if you ask me." He claps his hand proudly on the cushion he leans on.

"Join me." I softly demanded, prolonging each word lazily.

"Gladly." He moves around the couch and drops down once I have pushed myself upright. He grabs the remote from a foot away before getting comfortable and turns the television on.

I nestle into his warmth, resting my head just next to his heart. That familiar sense of safety washes over me when he wraps an arm around me, holding me close. I look up at him, watching his face as he concentrates something on the screen.

"Did you want to watch a movie?" He asks, unaware that I am studying him so closely.

I shrug my shoulders. "Sure. Surprise me." I look at every feature of his face, how relaxed they are at the moment. Every inch of him had to have been sculpted by some holy man. _I have the body of a god, too_ , I reminded myself. _Eom-ma-ya. **{Oh my god.}**_ His skin looks so unbelievably soft. I am not sure if it's normal or not, but I am so tempted to just put my lips in them. Not enough to break the skin. No, just to leave a mark. Just to remind him and myself that it is _my_ canvas to mark, and no one else's.

Since I know randomly by butterfly kisses on him would be sometimes weird, I dip my head into the hollow of his neck and single soft kiss to it. I pull away and settle into my position again. That might have been pointless to him, but it sent my heart aflutter.

He returns one, a gentle one, to top of my head and continues his search.

It takes a few minutes, but put on _'Infamous'._ With some other remote he found next to us, he turned the lights off, our bodies illuminated by the bright HD screen.

 _Hae-yo. **{Do it.}**_ Something in my mind urges me to finish what I started. _Geugeos-i'mueos-ideun, geugeos-eulhasibsio. jigeum geugeos-eul hal. geuneun hanaibnida. **{Whatever 'it' is, do it. Do it now. He is the one.}**_ Unfortunately, that is a point I can't argue with. It's too true. I wouldn't give up to anyone else. I have kept him waiting long enough… but what do I do?

 _Naneun jom deo lomaenseu soseol-eul ilg-eoya haess-eo. **{I should have read some more romance novels…}** ttoneun amado 'shoujo mangas' sasil, geudeul-eun deo nangmanjeog in bangbeob-e daehan deo manh-eun geulaepig illeoseuteuleul gajigo issseubnida. **{or maybe 'shoujo mangas' in fact, they have more graphical illustrations on how to become more romantic.}**_

I let another twenty minutes of the movie pass before I start listening to my own encouragement. I still don't how to lead up to it—it's not like I have so much experience with it—so I do what any naïve virgins would do; I think back on all the romantic movie scenes I have seen in my life including the kdramas that I have watched. Which is not a lot, so… damn it.

 _I Ileon. Yeogi amugeosdo eobs-eo. **{Oh God. Here goes nothing.}**_ I move my head as subtly as possible and stare up at him, and I could feel my pulse pounding under my skin. I study the hollow of his neck again, watching as it moves slightly with each breath. I tilt my head down and press a soft kiss to his chest, covering the bit of skin I can reach without moving too much.

He doesn't react. He must be really invested in the movie.

I kiss the same spot again, this time leading it into a trail of kisses up to his collarbone.

My actions elicit a short, quiet moan from him. _Wanjeonhan. **{Perfect.}**_ But he keeps his focus on the screen.

I adjust myself into a more comfortable position, and I rest a hand on his abdomen. I lead the kisses further up, tracing his jawline all the way up to his ear. I graze my lips from the lobe to shell before softly kissing back of it.

He gasps almost inaudibly, his head ever so slightly tipping to the side.

I smiled a bit mischievously, proud of myself. I did not think I would get any kind reaction from him other than a look of bewilderment, but I clearly doubted myself very much. I started down his cheekbone, eager to make it to his perfect, waiting lips.

The second I get there, he turns his head to face me, his eyelids now heavy with lust.

 _Geuleul nollaekyeo jugessseubnikka? **{Tease him, maybe?}**_ I stop myself just centimeters from his lips, feeling his quickened breath on my lips. He leans forward to close the space, but I pull away just as much as I can. I didn't know it could happen so quickly, but every nerve ending in me has come to life. And I do not want to stop. "Hello", glancing down shyly at his lips, torturing myself just as much as I am torturing him.

"Hi." He replies breathlessly. His hand slides down my back and rest on the small of it. He grazes my lips ever so lightly before looking me in the eyes. "Kiss me, please."

"Gladly." I slowly push myself forward, and immediately I delve into the most passionate kiss of my life.

~o~

We had made our way to the bed… _I Ileon, **{Oh God,}**_ I do not know how long ago. And soon after our clothes ended up everywhere (I also lose my twin braids, just to be a bit comfortable) but on our bodies, save for my white lace bra. He let me keep it on, knowing I still have insecurities he wishes that I would "just let go". Now we are hot under the covers, the kind of hot no amount of air conditioning can chase away. We are the closest we have ever been, and yet I still want more. I _need_ more.

After nearly ripping the sheets off the mattress, Tom finally moves back up my 'honestly petite' body, emerging from the cover of the blankets. He wipes the corner of his mouth with his thumb and licks it clean. He leans his head down and kisses me deeply.

Our lips move against each other smoothly, so perfectly. He tastes like mint and my essence. "Should I…" I ask between our kisses, a shy smile creeping across my lips. I run my hand along his length, rock solid and pulsing under my touch.

He moves away from my lips and kisses along the underside of my jaw. "Not necessarily. Tonight…" he buries his fingers in my hair and pulls my head back, exposing more sensitive skin to him. He opens his mouth wide, and his teeth sink in with ease.

"Ah!" I let out in a whimper gust of breath.

"… is about you." He mouths and brushes his lips over the bitten spot.

The whine he earns from it is so natural, I almost did not realize it came from me. My breath hitches as he covers all the right spots. My eyelids flutter closed, and I let the ecstasy slowly take over, savoring the sensation.

In the midst of this high intimacy, I realize we were really about to do this. A small fear of what's to come hits me out of nowhere, but I do well not to show it. My heart's already pounding in my chest as it is. He won't be able to tell there is something wrong.

 _"Mm,"_ he moans softly in my ear. "I can't wait any longer. Are you ready?"

I let out a soft small gasp, feeling his member against my opening. I turn my head to look him in the eye. "I will be even more ready… when you… um… put that condom on."

He squeezes his eyes shut and groans not because he does not want to, but because I know he has forgot. After all, he is the one who went hunting for it in his suitcase. "Right. Sorry. One second." He reaches over and grabs it off the night table.

I bit my thumb between my lips and sit up then kneeling with my legs separate in different directions and my long wavy hair covering the breast on each side. While I wait. I softly giggle while I watch him rip it open effortlessly. "Take your time." I can feel my rosy cheeks starting to become redder as I stare at his naked body.

He laughs as he rolls the rubber on carefully. "Like what you see?" He takes his other hand and pushes me down on the bed as he traces from between my breasts to my abdomen then finally sliding down between my legs.

My back nearly arches off the bed.

He hovers over me again and lines himself up with my entrance. The tip barely makes it a centimeter in what I have to take the deepest breath of my life.

 _Geobnaeji mala, Myung-hee. Budi. Geuneun hanaibnida. **{Don't get scared, Myung-hee. Please. He is the one.}** Dangsin-eun geuga hanalaneun geos-eul algo issseubnida. Pyeonhage hada. **{You know he is the one. Relax.}**_

So much for keeping it hidden; Tom stops himself. The expression on his face changes when he sees the hidden fear in my eyes and for that he is worried, I am sure that it is now my lust-blown eyes. He uses his free hand to brush a few strands of my hair from my face. "Is this really what you want, Myung-hee?" he asks me, genuine concern behind every word.

In this moment, I have never been so sure and unsure at the same time. I am about to give him the most precious thing I own. After tonight, I am his in every way. It is going to hurt like you are being shot with a gun or something, but better now than never, and better him than some random guy. I wouldn't want anyone else to have it. It has been a part of me for so long, and I am afraid of things changing after I lose it.

I place my hand on each side of his face and pull him down for a single, loving, reassuring kiss. I look deep into his blue eyes and nod my head. "Yes."

He gives me a pained smile. He's never wanted to hurt me. But he has to get the suffering over with so we can get to the pleasure. "I'll try to be gentle." He promises.

But, without a second left to respond, he pushed in past the resistance as quickly as possible.

There it is. The feeling I anticipated all this time. I yelp, yes, but it is nearly as painful as I expected for the tears in my eyes are starting to come out. It is a mix of hurt and pleasure, and after it is faded enough, I want more of it. I want more of him. I want more of his sweat-covered body pressed against mine, of my legs wrapped around his waist. Of his bruising grip on my sides, of the beautiful, shaky noise that left his lips when he is finally spent. I want everything, all of it to last forever.

He is the one. Thomas William Hiddleston is, and has always been, the one… _for me._


	30. Chapter 30

_**Main Characters in the Story:**_

* **Kim So Hyun** as _"Athena"_ Myung-hee Park

 ***Tom Hiddleston** as Himself

* * *

 **Chapter XXIX: What Now?**

 **~o~**

 **.**

 **.**

 **~o~**

The Bathroom is huge. TARDIS-inspired, like a ton smaller on the outside. So it would have been a crime to leave here without a wash in the _glass shower_. It's beautiful. And _spacious._ It's like one of those fancy rich people's showers I used to see in magazines.

Although I am not enjoying it as much as I want to see that I am sitting in a corner, tightly hugging my knees to my chest.

My cheeks are starting to become redder as images and moments from hours before, have keep running through my head. I can still feel his fingers digging into my porcelain skin, his tongue dancing with mine, his lips moving along my neck… _My neck_. I looked in the mirror before I got in here; a big black-and-blue sits about an inch below jaw and… it is prominent. Every time I run my fingers over it, I remember his teeth as he marked me, and it scrambles my mind for moment. I want to feel that burst of adrenaline and ecstasy again. Over and over, actually, if it didn't mean it would eventually fade out.

I run my head through my hair as drips of the cold water start to trail into my eyes.

I am not upset. I loved every second of it, of my very first time. Tom did everything right, nothing hurt more than it should have. I could have done without the constant "Are you alright?" questions, but it's a bit complicated. He just wanted everything to be perfect, or pretty damn close. I am just… confused? I just gave him a really big part of me. Now it is just… what now? Where do we go from here? Are there any more big steps? I mean, marriage, obviously, but with society's current divorce rate, I don't really hold high hopes for that. Most of all: what if he gets bored with me? He has got everything now. My heart, my mind and my loyalty. What if, when he realizes I have nothing more to give him, he gets bored and leaves?

Tonight-or last night… I didn't check—was more than I could ever hope for. Now it is just a bit of confusion. Is that normal?

 _"Myung-hee?"_

I decided not to answer. Judging by how close his voice is, he basically already found me.

He pads into the bathroom, rubbing his eyes as they adjust to the light. He looks so sleepy and adorable. I want a picture of him like that. He opens the shower door and stops there. I am assuming it's because he's got his black cotton underwear on. "Are you alright, darling?" he asks me.

I take a deep, cleansing breath. I nod my head. "Yes. I am alright." I know I don't sound very convincing, and I know he can tell. I just don't care enough to hide it.

He reaches for the knob and shuts the water off. Once it's reduced to a steady drip, he steps in and crouches in front of me. "What's up?" he asks. The grogginess in his voice has faded, replaced by concern. "Why are you sitting there?"

Guess my quiet time's over. _Han sigan-imyeon chungbunhaji, geuleohji? **{An hour's long enough, right?}**_ I slightly shrug my shoulders in response. "Just needed to do some thinking."

He takes on of my hands into his and rubs the back of it with his thumb. He is searching my face, I can tell, probably looking for an emotion. "Mind letting me in on those thoughts? Maybe I can help."

I wanted to shake my head no. I wish I would just put on a smile and said everything is fine. But I can't lie to Tom, especially after trying to lie to him about Michael. But… would it really be lying if I just didn't say anything? I wouldn't exactly be telling him everything's fine. It would mean I don't want to share right now. _Igeo ya? I hue deo mueos-i iss-eulkkayo? **{Is this it? What more is there after this?}**_ It would be so nice if I could say that. Maybe I should. But, when I look up into his eyes, there were full of worry. Real worry could lead to stress. Real stress could get in the way of his work. And I don't want my petty problems getting in the way of his work. So I just shake my head. "Not now." I tell him. I feel bad, but it is a fear too raw, too fresh to address.

His lips press into a hard line. Then he kisses the back of my hand he was holding and presses it to his cheek. "When you're ready." He says sadly. He places his hand on the glass behind me for support and leans in to kiss me. It's gentle, comforting, kind of what I needed at the moment. He nods his head towards the door. "Come on. Come back to bed."

I almost get up too, until I remember the current state I am in, and I am not talking emotionally. "I can't." My cheeks started to grow a bit red.

He furrows his eyebrows. "Why not?"

"I am naked."

He scoffs, but nothing could hide the amusement smile peeking through. "Really, Myung-hee? We just had sex, for Christ's sake."

I raise a brow, immediately becoming defensive. "I-I was distracted and unaware of my body! Now my head is a bit clear, and I don't want you to see my breasts. Is that a problem?"

"Alright, let me get this straight." He crouches down in front of me again. Without a warning, he slips his hand between my legs. "I can see this…" he caresses my opening, and my heart jumps in my chest with a soft gasp. "… absolutely _beautiful_ specimen here, but your breasts are well off limits. Am I correct?"

My head's still in a blur of ecstasy from the feel of his fingers on my private area. _"P-Please… Tom…"_ I moan with a soft demand.

He chuckles and stands up. He leaves the shower, stopping at the doorway and turns around to face me. The concern is long gone, now replaced with a bit of a mischief I don't mind getting myself into. "I will if you get up and come back to bed."

I stare at him, but there is no _real_ anger behind it. As much as I hate my body for responding this, I love feeling him all over it. It's my new weakness. I take a deep breath and slowly stand up, the remaining drops of water racing down my skin. I resist the urge to cover myself up. As Filthy Frank would say, it's time to stop.

Tom takes in the full sight of my form causing me to slightly cover my chest and lower area with a growing redness in my face, and I swear I can see his pupils dilate. He runs his tongue over his lower lip. "Ravishing." He nearly growls. He steps aside to let me pass.

I walk my way towards the bedroom, purposely throwing a bit of a swing into my hips with every steps.

As I approach the bed, he wraps his arms around my waist and throws both of us onto the bed. I squeal and giggle, while Tom starts to laugh along with me.


End file.
